


Fade to Oblivion

by DragonoftheMidwest



Category: Dragon Age - All Media Types, Dragon Age: Inquisition, Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Corypheus is a lil bitch, Crossover, Cultural Differences, Daedra, Demons, Dragonborn in Thedas, F/M, Friends to Lovers, Lyrium Withdrawal, Magic, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, POV Alternating, Pass it on, Slow Burn, in which dorian is more than a sassy gay friend, uneasy allies to friends to lovers
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-10-31
Updated: 2019-02-08
Packaged: 2019-08-11 03:02:17
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 7
Words: 23,864
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16467416
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DragonoftheMidwest/pseuds/DragonoftheMidwest
Summary: After her latest foray into one of the planes of Oblivion, Aoda finds herself in Thedas rather than back in Tamriel. Still, she takes the change of scenery in stride, despite few things in this life making sense.After all, she's slain the World Eater, stopped a Vampire uprising, and prevented the return of the First Dragonborn and his Dragon Cult. Fixing a hole in the sky can't be that difficult, right?





	1. Hahnu

**Author's Note:**

  * For [conteur_reveur](https://archiveofourown.org/users/conteur_reveur/gifts).

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hahnu - Dream

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Huge thank you to conteur_reveur for assistance with beta-ing!

**Aoda**

 

She watched as Hermaeus Mora’s tentacle slid out of Miraak’s lifeless body and deposited it onto the ground of the platform without ceremony. Her body was thrumming with the energy of the dragon souls that had been housed within Miraak, and she decided that visiting High Hrothgar to meditate on what she had learned during her struggles against the First Dragonborn was going to be at the top of her list. A Black Book on a grotesque pedestal rose from the oily liquid that made up a great deal of Apocrypha. She approached it and focused her mind on the image of Solstheim, eager to return to the island. The uneasy sensation of her body moving from one realm to another began, but she felt the magic that was moving her change, charged with a power she knew she had never experienced before and yet felt familiar at the same time. 

_ “Not yet, my daughter. You are needed elsewhere.”  _ A voice resonated around and within her before she blacked out.

 

* * *

 

 

Aoda woke up to sharp pain in her left arm and a bright green light. She gasped at the sudden sensations and opened her eyes at the sound of a heavy door opening. She saw that she was surrounded by uniformed soldiers with their weapons drawn. She did not recognize the colors or insignia they wore, green cloth over plate embossed with an eye with a sword through it. A fierce woman with short black hair in armor bearing the same insignia was prowling towards her in the company of a redhead in light mail and a purple hooded robe.

The short haired woman spoke first, “Tell me why I shouldn't kill you now.” 

Aoda resisted the urge to laugh at the woman. She obviously didn't know who she had in bonds if she thought that she could be killed so easily. She chose to remain silent, waiting for the woman to reveal who she worked with and what they wanted from her. She started to channel her will into a Shout, but paused when she could not feel the tell tale buildup of her Thu'um.

“Divine Justinia is dead, as are the hundreds of mages and Templars that attended the Conclave. You are the only survivor.” the woman stopped behind Aoda's left shoulder. “Explain yourself.”

“I don't know what happened.” Aoda kept her voice even, as she would have when dealing with other nobles in High Rock.

“Then explain this!” the woman grasped Aoda's left hand just as the green light flared again, sending another jolt of pain, causing her to cry out.

“I can't explain what happened. I don't remember how I got here and I don't know who this Divine Justinia that you're talking about is.”

“Liar!” The woman reared her hand back in preparation to strike Aoda, but was pulled back by the redhead.

“We need her, Cassandra.” The redhead soothed, before turning to Aoda. “Do you remember how this happened? How it began?”

Aoda closed her eyes, trying to remember. “I was in Apocrypha and returning to Solstheim. Then I heard a voice, saying I was needed elsewhere. And then,” Aoda felt her brows furrow. “I was being chased. And there was a woman.”

“Where are these places that you speak of? Whose voice? What woman?” the redhead pressed. 

“Apocrypha is Hermaeus Mora’s plane of Oblivion. Solstheim is the island colony of Morrowind just off of Skyrim’s mainland.” Aoda explained. “I'd never heard the voice before, but it was all around me, and also within. And the woman… she reached out to me and helped me escape whatever was chasing me.”

Cassandra snorted, “That clarifies nothing, Leliana, what do you know of these places?”

Leliana frowned, “I admit, they are unfamiliar to me.”

Leliana and Cassandra looked to each other before Cassandra spoke up, “Go, Leliana, to the forward camp. I will take her to the rift.” Leliana nodded and disappeared through the door while Cassandra kneeled in front of Aoda to unlock the shackles and bound her wrists in rope. Aoda couldn’t stop a dark laugh, earning a mighty glare from Cassandra.

“Sorry, just a bit of gallows humor. I’m hoping this turns out better than the last time I was bound and taken prisoner.” Aoda didn’t elaborate further before Cassandra led her out of the dungeon and out into the light. Aoda held her hands up to shield her eyes as they adjusted to the light, and when she lowered them, she gaped at the massive green light in the sky. 

“We call it the Breach.” Cassandra explained as they continued through the village they were located in. People stood on either side of the path, glaring and shouting for justice. “It grows larger by the hour, and is allowing demons into our world from the Fade.” As if on cue, the light in the sky pulsed, and Aoda dropped to her knees in pain as the mark on her hand flared again. Cassandra kneeled in front of her again. “Every time it grows, your mark spreads. It is also killing you.”

“What can we do about the Breach?” Aoda asked, not acknowledging Cassandra’s diagnosis. 

Cassandra blinked at her question, as if not expecting it. “We are hoping that your mark is the key to sealing it, however we do not have much time.”

“Then let’s move. If I’m dying, then I need to do what I can while I’m still able to.” Aoda pushed herself up and followed Cassandra through a large set of double doors that led through the wall surrounding the village. Once they were through, Cassandra turned and unsheathed a dagger. Aoda tensed, preparing to fight back if needed, before Cassandra cut through her bindings. 

“There will be a trial, but I cannot promise anything else.”

“Do you think I’m guilty?” Aoda asked as she followed Cassandra along the path. 

“I am less certain that you intentionally caused this, but we have no other suspects.”

“Even if it didn’t help prove my innocence, it needs to be closed.” Aoda said as they started across a stone bridge. Cassandra looked back and there was the barest hint of approval on her face as she looked at Aoda, not seeing the bolt of green energy that shot from the breach. “Look out!” Aoda warned her before it impacted, destroying the bridge from underneath them and sending them tumbling to the frozen surface of the lake. Screeching reached their ears from across the lake and they jumped up. Cassandra readied her sword and shield and took off towards the creatures that were sliding across the ice.

“Stay back!” She ordered as she launched herself at one of the creatures, not seeing the oily black cloud that was materializing in front of Aoda. Rather than waiting for permission from her captor, Aoda summoned a bound sword in her right hand and a flame spell in her left. She could feel her mana draining quickly, much more quickly than it had in years, even despite the enchantments on her robes and the jewelry she wore. Pushing her concerns back for later, Aoda sliced at the creature that had appeared, dodging razor sharp claws and slashing at weak points that it left open with her blade while dousing it in flames. The creature fell quickly, and she rushed to Cassandra’s aid as she continued to fight off two more. They dispatched the demons with surgical precision before Cassandra turned back to Aoda, sword still drawn, eyeing her bound blade and still-ready fire spell warily. “Disarm yourself!” She demanded. 

“We’re about to go through that valley facing Gods-know how many of those things and you want to be the only one fighting?” Aoda asked. 

Cassandra’s glare did not lessen, “Give me one good reason why I should trust you.”

“Believe it or not, keeping you alive would very much work in my favor.” Aoda reasoned. 

Cassandra did not budge, her sword still at the ready. 

“Have me in front of you, if you must, but you’re going to have to trust me.”

Cassandra considered her words before relaxing, if only slightly. “You are right. It is foolish of me to expect to be able to defend you and fight effectively. I would also do well to remember that you are coming along voluntarily.”

Aoda released her hold on the fire spell, but did not banish her blade just yet. “Shall we continue, then?”

Cassandra let her gaze linger on Aoda’s bound blade before nodding. “Let’s go.” They made their way back to the trail, dispatching more of the demons as they went, when they heard combat ahead, Cassandra picked up the pace. “We must be close to a rift. I can hear them fighting more demons.”

“Who is ‘they?’” Aoda asked.

“You will see!”

They reached where the battle raged, a blinding green light in the center of the combatants. As the demons fell, they were pulled back into the light. Aoda jumped into the fray with her spectral blade, unleashing fire as needed to push back her foes. When the last demon fell, an elf leapt to her side. “Quickly, before more come through!” He called, grabbing her wrist and pushing it towards the light. Aoda felt a pull and the mark on her hand was connected to the light. She could feel the edges of the rift and visualized pulling the edges together as she made a tight fist and focused her magical energy on the movement. The rift shuddered before closing with an audible  _ whoosh. _

“Well, it’s nice to know that works.” Aoda remarked while examining the mark as it flared from her palm while she let her bound blade fade back to Oblivion.

“I had theorized that your mark could close the rifts. It appears that I was correct, I am glad.” Aoda looked up at the sound of the voice to examine the bald elf. He most closely resembled a Bosmer, but lacked the short stature and he spoke more as an Altmer that called the Summerset Isles home would. Most odd, however, was how pale he was, his skin just as fair as any Nord. 

“Does this mean she can also seal the Breach itself?” Cassandra asked. 

“Quite possibly.” The elf answered Cassandra. “The Breach is much larger, so we will have to see.” He turned to Aoda, “And as for you, I am glad to see you alive. You were not faring so well when I last saw you.”

“I beg your pardon?” Aoda asked, raising an eyebrow. 

“I’m the one that watched over you and was able to slow the mark’s progression so it would not kill you before you woke. I’m glad I was able to, as it seems you hold the key to our salvation.”

“Well that’s good to know. I was afraid we were going to be ass deep in demons forever.” A voice from behind her said. Aoda turned to find a man of shorter than average stature, measuring to just below her shoulder. There was a mischievous glint in his grey eyes, as he smoothed back a lock of his golden hair that had fallen from it’s confines. “Varric Tethras, at your service. Rogue, story-teller, and occasional unwelcome tag along.” At the last part, he directed a wink at Cassandra, who snorted in disgust. 

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Varric.” Aoda smiled.

“Careful, you may regret those words soon.” The elf told her.

“Oh I’m sure we’ll all become great friends while we clear the valley of demons. Don’t you worry, Chuckles.” Varric said while adjusting the fit of his glove.

“Absolutely not. While you’re help is appreciated, Varric-” Cassandra started as she stepped towards Varric, but Varric cut her off. 

“Have you actually been in the valley Seeker? Seen what’s going on down there? Your soldiers aren’t in control anymore, and you’re going to need every bit of help you can get.”

Cassandra made another disgusted noise stepped aside to help a soldier tend to the wounds of another.

“If there are to be introductions, my name is Solas.” The elf inclined his head towards Aoda.

“I am Aoda Strundu’ul.” Aoda said, trying to channel her Thu’um, but failing. Still, she watched her new companion’s faces for any sign of recognition. Seeing none, she continued, “I do appreciate you ensuring that the mark did not kill me before I woke.”

“You should probably hold off thanks until after we find out if we can seal the Breach without it killing you in the process.”

“Oh, I’ve survived worse than a bit of unpredictable magic, I assure you.”

“Oh there is a story there that I have  _ got  _ to hear.” Varric grinned at her. 

“You may jest, but this magic is unlike any that I’ve ever seen before. The amount of raw power that would have caused the Temple to explode the way it did and create that mark is not something that a single mortal mage should be capable of.”

“Understood,” Cassandra stood from where she was working with the soldiers after affirming that their injuries were properly tended to. “We need to get to the forward camp. You two are welcome to join us. It does not matter to me.” 

Solas nodded and fell in behind Cassandra. Varric shrugged as he secured his impressive crossbow to his back, “Well, Bianca’s excited.”

Aoda nodded, before following, “Who’s Bianca?” She asked Varric after looking around for a fifth member to their party. 

“She is.” He patted the crossbow lovingly. “She’s one of a kind, we’ve been through all kinds of shit together.”

“I can understand the sentimentality.” Aoda reached for the specially made amulet of Akatosh that rested under her robes and ran her fingers over the familiar shape of it.

They reached the forward camp after dispatching another pack of demons, where Leliana was talking with a man in a white robe with a red and gold stole over it. Leliana was the first to notice them, turning to face them, “Chancellor Roderick, this is-” she began.

“I  _ know _ who this is.” He sneered at Aoda. “I order that you return this criminal to the chains we had her in and deliver her to Val Royeaux immediately for trial and execution!” He spat at Cassandra. 

“ _ You  _ order  _ me? _ ” Cassandra asked incredulously, before her expression turned thunderous. “You are nothing more than a glorified clerk! I do not take orders from the likes of  _ you! _ ”

“You are nothing more than a thug who supposedly serves the Chantry!” Roderick shot back.

“We serve the Most Holy.” Leliana turned on Roderick.

“As you know, Divine Justinia is dead!” He was unable to continue his argument because Aoda slammed her fist on the table. 

“Enough!” She growled, wishing once again that she could use her Thu’um. “While you three bicker, the Breach is still growing and spewing demons.” She turned to Roderick, “Whether you like it or not, this happens to be our best chance at closing it, so unless you want the Breach to remain open and unchecked, I suggest you listen to Cassandra and trust her judgement since she’s been out with me actually dealing with the rifts and demons. Unless you’d like to take her place and fight instead?” She added at the end with an icy tone. 

Roderick sputtered, his face reddening. “You brought this on us in the first place!” He turned to Cassandra, “Call a retreat, Seeker, our position here is hopeless.” 

“We can still stop this before it's too late. We need to get to the Breach” Cassandra insisted.

“You'll never survive, even with all of your soldiers.” Roderick shot back. 

“We need to get through the Temple, it's the quickest route.”

“But not the safest. Our forces can go in and create a distraction while you take the mountain pass.” Leliana said while gesturing along what Aoda assumed was the path through the mountain. 

“We have lost contact with an entire squad along that path. It is too risky.” Cassandra shook her head. 

“Listen to me, abandon this fool’s errand and call for a retreat before more lives are lost.” Roderick urged.

“If we give up now, we are signing a death sentence for everyone in Thedas!” Cassandra shouted. 

Once again, the Breach flared, and Aoda’s mark with it. “ _ Faaz _ .” She cursed as she held her hand to her chest, as if keeping it closer to her would prevent further pain. 

Everybody had turned to her, and Cassandra was the first to speak, “What do you think we should do?” 

“We have no time to lose. We must get to the Breach as quickly as possible.” Aoda decided without hesitation. 

Cassandra nodded. “Then let us go.” 

Once again they followed Cassandra up towards the remains of the Temple. As they climbed higher towards the Breach, they came across a larger group of soldiers fighting demons at a rift. Aoda leapt into the thick of it, soon finding herself backed into a circle of demons next to an armored warrior who wore a helm stylized like a lion’s head and a furred mantle over his armour, completing lion aesthetic. 

Aoda sent a silent prayer to Julianos that the abilities she’d gained in Apocrypha would work in Thedas and sent a powerful bolt of chained lightning through the demons that had surrounded them. The divine must have heard her, as only the demons were electrocuted before they fell to the ground. The warrior gave her a lingering look through the opening in his helm before launching himself at another demon. Aoda went after a demon that looked as though it were made of lava, sending frost spells in hopes that it would chill the creature enough to slow it down. Solas joined her in bombarding it with ice, their combined efforts slowly freezing it in place. 

When it was completely encased in ice, Cassandra slashed at it with her sword, completely shattering it in a way that Aoda had never seen done before. “That was the last one!” Cassandra called out, “Seal the rift!” 

Aoda nodded and whirled around, reaching out with her hand and her magic to pull the edges of the rift shut, preventing more demons from coming through. When it was fully shut, Aoda took a moment to catch her breath, scanning the battlefield. 

She spotted a wounded soldier, and immediately went to help, kneeling down where he was trying to stem the bleeding in his side. “I know healing magic, may I help you?” She asked him. She had gotten the sense that magic was not well liked here, and knew from her experiences in Skyrim that it was best to ask before using healing magic, in case the injured person jerked away in fear and hurt themselves more. When the soldier nodded, she summoned her healing magic and let the golden light flow over him, stitching up his wounds and reversing the damage done. After she was sure he had no other injuries, she helped him up just in time to see the warrior she had assisted in the battle remove his helm, revealing golden hair that was mussed from his helmet. 

“Lady Cassandra, good work sealing the rift.” He said, while glancing sideways at Aoda, his eyes narrowed slightly. 

“This was all the prisoner’s doing, Commander” Cassandra indicated Aoda with a tilt of her head.

The man turned to face her, “Is that so? Well then you have my thanks for the assistance with those demons earlier. I hope they’re right about you.” He had one brow raised as he took her in with amber eyes. A scar cut into his lip and more curved around the side of his face. 

“Trust me, you aren’t the only one, Commander.” Aoda suppressed the urge to fidget under his observation. “Will you be joining us to try to close the Breach?” She couldn’t help but ask.

“Unfortunately, no. My men and I have been working to suppress the demons that are terrorizing the locals and give aid to those who have lost their homes since the explosion.” 

“I understand. Do any more of your men require healing before we part ways?”  Aoda asked. 

The Commander looked back to where his men were gathered, and gave them a once over. “No, I don’t believe so. Thank you, for the offer, Miss-?” 

“Aoda Strundu’ul.” Aoda smiled as he raised his eyebrows at her surname. 

“Miss Strundu’ul, may the Maker and Andraste watch over you as you attempt to close the Breach.” The Commander inclined his head before putting his helmet back on. 

“ _ Su’um ahrk morah, _ Commander.” Aoda nodded back, before rejoining Cassandra, Varric, and Solas. 

They finally made it to the summit, where the Breach churned just within Shouting distance from a balcony. Aoda looked at the destruction surrounding the Breach and the rift just underneath it, pushing down the sick feeling in her stomach. Bodies, mangled and charred, were everywhere; mouths open in silent screams and twisted in the agony of their last moments. 

“You made it! Thank the Maker!” Leliana had finally caught up with them with a small group of soldiers.

“Leliana, take your men and surround the temple!” Cassandra ordered. While Leliana returned to her men to dispatch them, Cassandra turned to Aoda, “Are you ready?” 

“As I’ll ever be. I don’t suppose you have any ideas to get me up there?” Aoda asked.

“You may not need to get  _ up _ there. If you’re below the rift, you should still be able to seal it just fine. This is the first one. If you seal this, you may seal the Breach.” 

“Then let us find a way down.” Cassandra said.

Aoda nodded in agreement, peering over the side of the balcony, judging the distance to the ground. “Hope nobody has weak ankles.” She said before she leapt over the stone railing to the landing below. She paused when she heard a disembodied voice as her companions landed behind her. 

“Someone help me!” A woman’s voice called out.

“What’s going on here?” Aoda heard her own voice demand. The mark burst into life on her palm, shooting pain up her arm. Smokey images could be seen coming from the rift. An old woman, being held by invisible bonds, shouting at Aoda to run and warn them.

“We have an intruder.”  A male voice came from a larger figure, the details indiscernible. “Kill her.” 

The vision faded and Cassandra stalked up to Aoda, pulling her roughly by the arm. “You  _ were _ there! Who attacked? Is Most Holy..?”  She trailed off. “Is this vision true?” 

“I don’t know. I don’t remember any of this.” Aoda shook her head.

“These are echoes of what happened here. The Fade bleeds through. This rift is closed, but not sealed properly, albeit temporarily.” Solas began. “I believe we can use the mark to reopen it and then seal it properly and safely. However, opening the rift will likely attract attention from the other side.” 

“You mean demons.” Cassandra growled. 

“Yes. I suggest we ready ourselves for whatever may come through.” 

“Just when I thought this was going to be easy.” Varric sighed and readied Bianca. 

Solas and Cassandra followed suit, “We are ready when you are.” Solas nodded to her in affirmation.

Aoda took a deep breath and reached out to the rift, imagining easing it back open with her magic. She was jolted when she felt something push its way out.

“Pride demon!” Cassandra shouted as everybody scattered. 

The thing was monstrous, easily taller than her house in Whiterun. The demon roared and swiped at Aoda, who was the closest target. She jumped and rolled out of the way, sending an ice spike flying for it with one hand, and summoning a spectral wolf familiar with the other. 

“Solas, any weaknesses?” Aoda asked as she dodged another swipe. 

“Spirit magic!” The elf yelled above the din of battle. “Avoid electrical attacks!” 

Aoda furrowed her brow. Spirit magic was not something she had studied, or even heard of, even as the Archmage. She cast a Stoneflesh spell and summoned another bound sword. She darted underneath the demon, slashing at the back of its knees with her spectral blade and sending continuous frost spells to try to slow it down. The demon roared as her blade sank deep into its hindquarters, and kicked out, sending her flying across the battlefield. Aoda hit a stone wall, seeing stars as she tried to pick herself up. She healed any wounds that were bleeding, and saved the concussion she knew she probably had for later. Rather than summoning another sword, Aoda focused on throwing more ice spikes at where she thought weak points in the demon’s hide would be. Belly, throat, ribs. One of her ice spikes sank deep into the beast’s chest, causing it to screech in pain as it clawed at the ice protruding from it. Everybody saw the opportunity and redoubled their efforts. Aoda switched to fire, dousing the creature in flame while her companions continued to deal as much damage as they possibly could. Varric dealt the final blow, with a bolt that landed in the demon’s eye. With a final cry, the demon fell before being pulled back through the rift. 

“Aoda, now!” Solas cried, but she was already working on closing the rift. When it was sealed, the mark flared again, brighter than ever before, and Aoda’s world went dark.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Su'um ahrk morah - Breath and focus


	2. Niid Ov

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Niid Ov - No trust

**Cullen**

 

He pushed himself off of the small cot that he had been using as a bed for the last two months with a groan. Though he was Commander, since the Inquisition had not yet officially been reborn until just the day before, sleeping arrangements were limited. He was barely afforded the luxury of his own tent, if only so he had a space to put his desk. With aching joints and a dull throb in his head, Cullen splashed water on his face and pulled his armor on methodically as he went through what he needed to get done that day. Another batch of recruits had found their way to Haven the night before, and he had to determine where they would be most useful. He had a pile of reports from the Hinterlands with information on the ongoing war between the mages and templars, and requisitions to approve or deny. Cullen let out an exhausted sigh as he pulled on his furred mantle. 

He managed to get to the training field with no messengers or scouts intercepting him, and he nearly groaned when he saw the slight figure perched on a barrel watching the troops train.. Bracing himself for another message from a group of Templars demanding that he return to the Order, he froze when the person on the barrel suddenly turned their head and made eye contact. He was met with the icy blue gaze of Aoda Strundu’ul. She didn’t seem surprised to see him, and actually seemed to have been waiting for him. As he drew closer, he took the opportunity to look more closely at her, as she looked much different now that she wasn’t covered in demon gore. Her white-blonde hair was pulled back from her face with two small braids, while the rest of it hung loose. She was short in stature, but didn’t possess the soft figure that most circle mages had. That, combined with her tanned complexion led him to believe that she was an apostate. 

“Commander,” She greeted him with a nod at his approach. As he got closer, he was shocked to feel that she radiated a large amount of magical power, but her magic was different. It was as if instead of the magical energies from the Fade being cloaked around her, her magic was coming from within her. He hadn’t noticed before while they had been in the heat of battle, but now it was overwhelmingly obvious that she was an extremely powerful mage, perhaps more powerful than any he’d encountered previously, and that set him on edge. 

“Miss Strundu’ul.” Cullen returned her nod. “To what do I owe the pleasure?” 

“Please, it’s Aoda. Strundu’ul is more of a title than a name; and here it doesn’t carry the meaning it does back home.” She gave him a shy smile.

“Aoda, then, what can I help you with?” Cullen asked. 

“I’ve been speaking with Solas, trying to figure out how I got here. And where  _ here _ even is.” She paused, seeming to choose her words carefully. “He told me a lot about how magic is different here, particularly how the mages are treated.”

Cullen held back a sigh, “And you have some thoughts on that, I take it?” 

“He hasn’t told me much about Templars, other than they’re currently at war with the mages.” Aoda shifted, seeming to get more comfortable. “I learned about this land’s mages from a mage. It’s only fitting I learn about Templars from a Templar.” 

_ “Former _ Templar.” Cullen emphasized. “I am no longer with the Order. And Solas is an apostate, his experience isn’t common among mages. We have other mages you can speak with about their experiences as well.” 

“Even so, I’m here to ask you about Templars right now.” Aoda leaned back on her hands. “You’re under no obligation to tell me anything, of course. However I feel that as somebody who left the Templars, you’d be able to provide insight that others that consider themselves Templars couldn’t.” 

Cullen opened his mouth, but shut it quickly before he could get any words out. He grit his teeth together in frustration. “I’d rather not discuss my departure from the Order. My reasons were highly personal.” 

“That’s fine.” Aoda nodded. “I’m not here to argue or make enemies. I simply want to understand what in Oblivion is going on around me.”

“Well if you don't mind, I have soldiers to train.” Cullen said, effectively ending the conversation.

“I see. Well, Commander, I do hope you'll humor me by answering just one question. Then I'll be out of your hair.” Adoa hopped off the barrel she had been sitting on, landing lightly in the snow.

“And that would be?” 

“I only ask your name, Commander.” Aoda smiled. “You do have me at a disadvantage, I’m afraid.” 

Cullen blinked, running quickly over their only interaction before realizing that she was correct. “Cullen Rutherford. No titles other than Commander, I’m afraid.” 

“Hmm. Commander Cullen Rutherford, a pleasure to officially meet you.” Aoda nodded at him before heading towards the Chantry.

“Aoda?” Cullen called after her. When she turned, he asked, “What does Strundu’ul mean? What language is it?” 

Aoda smirked at him. “That, Commander, is a very long story that we don’t have time for today. After all, you have soldiers to train.”  With a wink, she turned back and headed on her way, leaving Cullen with his soldiers. 

“So that’s the Herald of Andraste, eh?” Cullen started at the sound of Knight-Captain Rylen’s voice next to him.

“I’m sorry, what?” Cullen asked his second in command.

“That lass you were just talkin’ to. She’s the one that has the mark on her hand, yeah?” Rylen nodded after Aoda.

“Yes, she is.” 

“The soldiers and villagers have been calling her the Herald of Andraste. The team that found her after the explosion said they saw a glowing woman behind her in the rift when she fell out of the Fade.” 

“And they think it was Andraste sending her to us?” Cullen crossed his arms as he questioned Rylen.

“Come on, Commander. I know you feel it too. She’s no ordinary mage. She isn’t just some apostate, and we both know it. There’s something more to her, and if that’s the touch of Andraste, who am I to question it?” 

“Though she was just what we needed when we needed it, I don’t know if she’s been sent by Andraste. I won’t deny that something is different about her, though, and it’s unsettling to say the least. “ 

“If it isn’t Andraste’s blessing, then what could it be?” Rylen asked.

“I have no idea.” Cullen admitted with a sigh. “Either way, we have other things to worry about. Get the recruits paired up so we can run drills!” 

“Yes, Commander.” Rylen saluted him and started barking orders at the soldiers.

 

* * *

 

 

Later that afternoon, Cullen had been quietly debating with Leliana about whether they needed the assistance of the mages or the Templars to finally seal the Breach when the door to the war room opened to admit Aoda and Cassandra. 

“Don’t lose that sense of humor.” Cassandra was saying with a smirk before closing the door behind them. “You’ve already met Commander Cullen, Leader of the Inquisition’s forces.” 

“Aoda, good to see you again.” Cullen nodded in acknowledgement. 

Cassandra gestured to the noble on Cullen’s left. “This is Lady Josephine Montilyet, our Ambassador and Chief Diplomat.” 

“It’s a pleasure to meet you at last, I’ve heard much.” The Ambassador said with a smile. 

“And of course, you know Sister Leliana.”

“My position here requires a great degree of-”  Leliana began.

“She is our Spymaster.” Cassandra interrupted Leliana’s very Orlesian way of explaining her position. 

“Yes. Tactfully put, Cassandra.” Leliana sighed in exasperation.

“It’s a pleasure to meet all of you.” Aoda smiled at each of them. 

“I mentioned that your mark needs more power to close the Breach for good.” Cassandra explained to Aoda. 

“Which means we must approach the rebel mages for help.” Leliana managed to get in with her thoughts first.

Cullen shook his head, “I still disagree, the Templars could serve just as well.”

“We need power, Commander.” Cassandra argued back. “Enough magic poured into that mark-” 

“Could destroy us all!” Cullen objected. “We don’t know what kind of magic we’re dealing with and the Templars could subdue the Breach and weaken it!”

“Pure speculation!” Leliana turned on him.

“I was a Templar, I know what they’re capable of.” 

“Even so, neither group will speak with us as of now.” Josephine interrupted their bickering. “The Chantry has denounced the Inquisition, along with you specifically.” She nodded to Aoda. “Some are calling you, a mage, the Herald of Andraste. That frightens the Chantry, and the remaining clerics are calling it blasphemy. And we’re heretics for harbouring you.” 

“Chancellor Roderick’s doing, no doubt.” Cassandra sneered. 

“That’s quite a title.” Cullen remarked. “How does it compare to your other one?” 

“I don’t think you’d believe me if I told you, Commander.” Aoda smirked at him for the briefest of moments before frowning. “It is certainly unsettling.” 

“Some people see it as a sign of hope. That you’re here to right the wrongs.”  Leliana suggested.

“And others see it as a symbol of what’s going wrong with the world.” Josephine added.

A strange look crossed Aoda’s face before Cullen saw her adopt a neutral mask. “So it sounds like approaching anybody for assistance right now is out of the question.” Aoda stepped back and examined the map that they had spread across the table. “So what are our alternatives? What can we do in the meantime while we gain influence that doesn’t rely on the Chantry?” 

“We have been receiving reports of Rifts in other regions of Orlais and Ferelden. If we venture out with you and seal these rifts, it may lead to outside support.” Cassandra suggested.

“And there is a Chantry cleric, Mother Giselle, that wishes to speak with you and possibly offer her assistance. She is located near one of our camps in the Hinterlands.” 

“Are there rifts in the area?” Aoda asked.

“Yes, there are plenty for us to deal with while we are out there.” Cassandra informed her.

“Then I’ll be ready to head that way within the next day or so. I need to find some more suitable armor and possibly a back-up weapon. My magic reserves are not what they should be since I woke up here and I don’t want to be without a weapon.” The statement had Cullen concerned. She normally had  _ more _ magical power at her disposal? 

“Of course, and we can spar to make sure you are comfortable with whatever new weapon you choose.” Cassandra nodded in approval. “If there is nothing else?” She asked the advisors. When none answered, she nodded and led Aoda out of the room. 

“Ladies,” Cullen bid in farewell as he followed Cassandra and Aoda out of the room.

“When I had fallen out of the Rift, did I have a bag with me or was a bag recovered? I believe I may have some suitable armor that would suit our purposes so we don’t have to divert time or resources in order to have something made or fitted for me.”  

“I believe so. I will have someone find the bag and bring it to your cabin. And what of weapons?” 

“If the armor I’m hoping for is still in my bag, I should also have a sword with it. If not, we can see what’s available for me to use.” 

“When you use a weapon, what do you usually prefer?” Cassandra asked.

“Oh it’s been years, but I typically use a one handed sword and use my other hand to cast frost spells to slow down my opponent or for healing magic.”

“No shield?” Cassandra asked, flabbergasted.

“Never could get the hang of shields. I can use wards for magic and arrows, though. My father’s side of the family produces some of the best battlemages in all of Tamriel, and none of us have ever used a shield.” 

“So do you plan on using magic against me while we spar?” Cassandra did not seem put off by the strange terms Aoda was using.

“I have ways for my magic to pass over people and leave them unaffected. It’s a… unique talent I have. And it’s one of the things that I can still do that hasn’t been lost to me for whatever reason. I managed to not electrocute the Commander with a chain lightning spell despite him standing right next to me when we were making our way to the Breach.” 

“So what things were you able to do before?” Cassandra asked, obviously curious, even from further behind them as they left the Chantry.

“The most… impactful, for lack of a better word for it, is my Thu’um. It’s an ancient magic that a person channels their vital essence into a Shout.” 

“This is a common magic where you are from?” Cassandra asked, Cullen picked up his pace, wanting to hear more.

“Anybody can learn it, technically. It takes most people years and requires complete seclusion from society in a monastery at the top of the tallest mountain in Tamriel.” 

“And what exactly does this magic do?” 

“Quite a few things, actually. The Thu’um was originally a magic only accessible to dragons until the first Dragon War. So naturally things such as breathing fire and ice are part of it. There are also more dangerous and powerful Shouts. In my travels I have learned to slow time and manipulate weather. There are other Shouts that I refuse to use, and I’d rather not discuss them.” 

“I see. I would like to learn more about this Thu’um you speak of. Perhaps when you can use it again, you would be willing to show me?” 

“Certainly. Especially if we are to be travelling together. I’ve come to understand that it can be a bit… unsettling to somebody who has never been around it before.” Aoda stopped, “Now that I think about it, perhaps meditation would help in figuring out how to get my Thu’um back. We may have to put off our sparring for the time being, Cassandra.” 

“I understand. I will have your belongings found and delivered to your cabin.” Cassandra and Aoda nodded at each other before Aoda left for the little cabin in the corner of the village. “You can stop skulking in the shadows like that, Commander Cullen.” 

“Forgive me if I want to find out what it is about her that has my Templars on edge. Can you feel it too?” He asked her.

“Can I sense that she is powerful? Yes. However, there is no lyrium in her blood, like with every other mage I have encountered.” 

“That powerful with no lyrium? What in the Maker’s name could it be then?” 

“I do not know Commander, but I intend to find out.” 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to thuum.org for the translations so far and in the future. You da real MVP


	3. Amativ

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Amativ -Forward

**Aoda**

 

Aoda was pulled from her meditations with a knock on her door. “Enter,” she commanded as she shook her head to clear it.

“Pardon the delay, ma’am. I’ve brought your belongings.” A man with tattoos on his jaw stepped in through the door, carrying her pack. Aoda recognized him as one of men in charge of training the soldiers. Aoda smiled when she saw her Nightingale blade poking out of the main bag. 

“I greatly appreciate it.” Aoda stood up, grimacing as her knees protested. “I don’t believe we’ve met.” She extended her right hand. “I’m Aoda Strundu’ul.”

“I’m Knight-Captain Rylen, Commander Cullen’s second-in-command.” The man approached her and shook her hand after setting her bag down. “I hope you’ve been settling in alright, Your Worship.”

“Oh for the love of Akatosh, people aren’t going to start calling me that, are they?” Aoda groaned. 

“Ma’am?”

“I’m sorry, it isn’t your fault. It’s just that I’ve done nothing here to earn any sort of titles or reverence. Your Worship is a bit much, with that taken into consideration.”

“I beg to differ, ma’am. You did stop the Breach from continuing to grow, after all. However, if you do not wish to be called Your Worship, I will do what I can to make sure the soldiers are aware.”  
“Thank you, Knight-Captain.” Aoda smiled warmly at him before her stomach rumbled audibly enough for Rylen to raise an eyebrow at her. “And that’s my cue to ask where I can get some lunch.”

“Lunch, ma’am?” Rylen asked. “It’s actually closer to supper time. It’s been hours since Cassandra sent somebody to find your things.”

“Has it?” Aoda frowned, “I suppose my mentors would be proud of me for meditating for so long, even if it accomplished nothing.”

In the distance, a bell chimed three times. “Well if nothing else, you do have excellent timing, that was the meal bell.” Rylen informed her. “Would you like me to show you to the mess?”

“That would be wonderful. I had some questions about, well, everything if I’m quite honest.”

“I’ll be more than happy to answer them, my lady.” Rylen stepped back to open the door for her to let her out first. “What did you want to know?” He asked as he shut the door behind them. 

“Are you a Templar? What purpose do Templars serve? We have no such role in any culture where I’m from.”

“I am a Templar. And you have no Templars? Then how do you deal with demons and abominations?” Rylen ushered her through a line where they were given trays laden with meat and potatoes with buttered bread.

“Possession of any sort is only performed by the highest of Daedra. I’ve only personally seen it done by Daedric Princes. Most Daedra don’t have that kind of power over mortals.” Aoda found a table with a couple of empty seats and sat down, Rylen taking a seat across from her. 

“I don’t know what a Daedra is.” Rylen tilted his head in bewilderment, “Do your mages not draw their power from the Fade? Are they all blood mages like in Tevinter? What about your Circles?” 

“A Daedra is…” Aoda furrowed her brow as she sought an understandable comparison. “The closest thing here that I’ve been told of is Fade Spirits. They aren't inherently evil like demons. And like I said, only the most powerful of them, the sixteen Daedric Princes, can possess people, and even that is temporary. Solas told me what blood magic is; and I can promise you that any respectable mage in all of Tamriel would never participate in such a practice. We have no need for it, and honestly I don’t think it would work. I don’t know how, but I think Tamriel and Thedas are separate places. Different planes of existence with just enough in common that allows me to be here. The magic here is so different, I'm having trouble adjusting.” Aoda sighed. “And we don’t have Circles. We have colleges and a couple of separate orders like the Psijic Monks that kind of just do their own thing, but all of those organizations are completely voluntary. We don’t have anything like what your Circles are.”

“So how do mages function in society? What is your day to day life like?” Rylen asked as Varric sat down next to Aoda with his own food. 

“Well, my day to day life is quite different than any other mage. I’m Arch Mage of the College of Winterhold; and I hold other titles and responsibilities that are separate from my being a mage that impact my duties as well.”

“What does being Arch Mage entail?” Varric asked.

“I’m seen as the highest authority in magic back in Skryim, the province that I live in. I work with other well respected mages in the land to address all magical problems that need attention. I recently had to journey to a nearby island to take care of an unrelated problem that fell into my lap. I had been hoping to retire from some of my duties after the last few years.”

“And now you’re here and instead of a cozy retirement, you get to save the world.” Varric offered. 

“All in a day’s work.” Aoda sighed as she sipped at her mead, grimacing at the taste of it, missing the richer flavor of Honningbrew’s mead.

Varric narrowed his eyes at her, “I can’t tell if you’re serious or joking.” 

“Well that’s half the fun, isn’t it?” Aoda winked at him. “Gives our storyteller a little more wiggle room.”

“So how did you become Arch Mage? Was there some sort of test or ritual?” Rylen asked.

“The former Arch Mage had taken me under his wing to personally mentor shortly after I had joined the college.”Aoda paused, before deciding to leave out that Savos Aren had mentored her  _ specifically _ because of her Dragonborn status. “One of our research teams had dug up a powerful magical artifact and he was killed along with his second in command when one of his advisors tried to use the artifact for malevolent means. I was able to stop the advisor and kept him from killing the rest of the college.”

Varric sat back and drained his ale. “Well, let’s hope the crazy-magic-shit-stopping abilities weren’t left at home so we can completely seal the Breach.” 

“We’re hoping to enlist some help in case that was a one-off and we need a back up plan.” Aoda deadpanned, causing Rylen to snort into his tankard of ale. “Speaking of, we are leaving tomorrow morning. I should get some sleep if we plan on leaving after first light.”

“Would you like an escort back, my lady?” Rylen asked.

“That would be appreciated, Knight-Captain.” Aoda stood as she answered him. “I’ll see you in the morning, Varric.”

“See you bright and early.” Varric waved her off as another mug of ale was placed in front of him by a serving girl. 

Rylen stood and went to open the door to let Aoda out. She smiled at him as he offered his arm and led the way back to her cabin. “I won’t lie,” she admitted, “I didn’t realize I would miss this part of home.”

“What part?”

“Just being treated like a regular person.” Aoda shrugged.

“Why wouldn’t they treat the Arch Mage like a regular person?” Rylen asked as they approached her cabin.

“There were special circumstances.” Aoda avoided meeting his curious eyes. “Thank you, Knight-Captain. I’m sure we’ll see more of each other soon. Good night.”

Rylen nodded to her, “Good night, my lady.” Could be heard before Aoda shut the door.

 

* * *

 

“The Herald of Andraste! We’ve heard the stories of what you did at the Breach. We’re in the middle of the Mage-Templar war here, but you won’t face any extra hostility from the Inquisition forces or refugees, I can assure you of that. Inquisition Scout Harding, at your service.” The short, freckled woman shook Aoda’s hand.

“Harding?” Varric chuckled. “Ever been to Kirkwall’s Hightown?” 

“No, I can’t say that I have.” Harding shook her head.

“That’s a shame, because you’d be Harding in- never mind.” Varric deflated slightly as he seemed to realize nobody would appreciate his reference. Cassandra snorted in disgust at him.

“So you said the fighting is bad down in this area?” Aoda asked as she pulled down the black hood of her Nightingale armor. She could heard the distant echo of battle further away, but her view was restricted by the trees that surrounded them.

“Yes, and because of that we have been unable to reach Master Dennett.”

“Master Dennett?” Aoda asked. 

“He’s the former stable master of Redcliff. We were reaching out to him to secure his horses for the Inquisition. I grew up here, and everybody would say that Master Dennett’s herds were the best this side of the Frostbacks.”

“With the fighting, we are not even sure if he is alive or not.” Cassandra added. 

“We’ll find our way out to him after we talk to Mother Giselle.” Aoda readjusted her blade. “Anything else you can tell me about the area?”

“There have been sightings of a dragon closer to Redcliff. I would be careful in that area if I were you.” Harding warned. 

“Thank you, Scout Harding. I’ll allow you to return to your duties.” Aoda smiled, making a mental note to ask around for a better idea of where the dragon was. Maybe once she killed a dragon in this strange land, she’d be able to use her Thu’um again and feel closer to normal.

Talking to Mother Giselle was simple, and she agreed to travel to Haven to assist the Inquisition in their dealings with the Chantry. The four of them took their time helping out anybody who needed assistance at the crossroads camp, including helping with hunting and finding warm clothing for the refugees. Even after the years of civil war that was still tearing Skyrim apart, the fighting hadn’t gotten so bad as to drive people to flee from their homes in these amounts. The distress must have been evident on her face, because Cassandra pulled her aside. 

“Is something bothering you?” The Seeker asked. 

“I’m just worried about things back home. We’re dealing with our own civil war and seeing this has made me realize how bad things could get.” Aoda shook her head. 

“What is your civil war over?” Solas came up to join them.

“Skyrim is a province within the Cyrodilic Empire. About, oh I think thirty-five years ago now, we were at war with the Aldmeri Dominion. The Emperor signed a peace treaty to end the war, and one of the sanctions was that the worship of one of our gods was outlawed. After the war, the Empire started heavily taxing the other provinces to pay for reparations and allowed the Aldmeri Dominion free reign to arrest people for Talos worship. The High King of Skyrim supported the Emperor’s decision; but Ulfric Stormcloak, one of the Jarls, spoke out against support of the Empire. He challenged the king to one on one combat and killed him. So it’s Ulfric and his supporters fighting the Empire.” Aoda sighed and rubbed at her temples. “It’s been a huge mess and it’s nothing but skirmishes and each side trying to outsmart the other while the Aldmeri Dominion continue to persecute people.”

“So what side of this mess are you on?” Varric asked, casually shouldering Bianca.

“I haven’t taken a side. I believe that if Skyrim no longer wants to be a part of the Empire, they have that right. And banning the private worship of a god within the home is unacceptable. However, the Stormcloaks believe that Skyrim is only for the Nords. Certain races aren’t allowed within cities. Elves are attacked in the streets of Stormcloak occupied cities just for being elves.” She knew the moment she chose a side, the war would truly break out. Both Ulfric and General Tullius had been hounding her for some sort of support, no doubt so they could say they had the Dragonborn backing them in some way. 

“I see. That is pretty rough; I don’t envy you there. Of course, now you have a giant hole in the sky to deal with and a different civil war, so I’ll bet you’re missing that now.” Varric clapped her on the back. 

“That’s one way to put it.” Aoda checked herself over to make sure nothing on her armor was loose. “Enough of me being homesick. We have a stable master to find.”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope everybody in the US had a happy Thanksgiving! I barely survived working Black Friday. Chapter 4 is in the works!


	4. Do Zu'u

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Do Zu'u - About Me

**Cullen**

The single note from the horns signaled returning soldiers. Cullen pulled himself from the report he was struggling to focus on, stepped out of his tent, and made his way towards the gates to greet the returning party. The light snow that had begun that morning was picking up speed, forcing him to shield his eyes to keep flakes from blinding him. He reached the gates just as they opened to reveal the Herald leading her party on horseback. Varric was heavily bundled up, as was Solas. Cassandra and Aoda both seemed less affected by the snow, both of them wearing only the armor they had left Skyhold in and nothing more. Aoda’s armor looked to be made of shadows and the gold of her hair and blue of her eyes stood out against the deep black. 

“Herald, it’s good to see you return in one piece.” Cullen greeted as she dismounted her horse. “Mother Giselle arrived just two days ago and let us know that you were assisting the soldiers with the refugees before you returned.”

“That is correct.”Aoda loosened the fastenings of her hood and cape, frowning as she folded it up with care and tucked it into her pack. “We managed to find Master Dennett. He has a few conditions that must be fulfilled before he commits anything to the Inquisition. We should see about getting more hunters down to the Crossroads to make sure there is enough food for the refugees.” 

“Was there anything else? We can call a war council meeting to discuss details.” Cullen fell into step with her and Cassandra.

“That would be for the best, Commander.” Cassandra said. “We managed to gain some valuable information while we were in the Hinterlands that is concerning.”

“Give us half an hour to get cleaned up from the road, and we shall join you in the war room, Commander.” Aoda said before turning towards her cabin. 

Once Aoda was out of earshot, Cullen turned to Cassandra and lowered his voice. “Were you able to discover more about the Herald?”

“She has control over her magic like nothing I have ever seen. She is proficient in using it in combat as well as that blade that she carries, which leads me to believe that she leads a lifestyle other than the academic one that she has told us of.” 

“I gathered that much. Anything hinting at blood magic?” Cullen pushed back as his mind summoned unwanted memories from Kinloch Hold.

“No blood magic. She will not even use lyrium when her stores are depleted. Solas offered her a draught and she refused it, saying just the smell was likely to make her sick.” 

Cullen pondered that information as they passed through the Chantry doors. “All things considered, what do you make of her so far?” 

“Though I think she is more than just some academic, she will be a great asset to the Inquisition if we can get her to trust us. She cares about the well being of all of the people that we have come across and helped those that she has no responsibility to. After the Breach is sealed, she may be our best chance at ending this war and fixing the damage it has caused.” Cassandra paused outside of the door to her quarters. “We will speak more on this later, Commander. I would also like to get cleaned up after our journey. I will see you at the war table.” 

“Very well.” Cullen set off back to his tent to gather some paperwork he would need for the war council, sending runners after Leliana and Josephine.

By the time he made it back to the Chantry and entered the war room Aoda was already there studying the map intensely and scribbling notes on a piece of parchment. Her hair was still damp, and hung loosely around her shoulders. From behind her Cullen could see her shoulders were rigid with tension. She made no indication that she was aware of his presence until she spoke.

“Does the Inquisition have an official stance on the war between the mages and Templars?” She put her quill down and studied him as he took his place across the table from her.

“Not officially, no. I'm sure we will have to eventually.” He admitted with a sigh as he set his paperwork down.

“And what about you? Surely you have an opinion as a former Templar?”

Cullen furrowed his brow at her directness. “Maybe not the opinion one would expect of me. I saw first hand the levels of desperation that the old way of things drove the mages and what kind of damage that magic gone unchecked can do. I've also seen Templars abuse their power and get away with it because of a lack of accountability.”

“I'm sure those are not pleasant stories.” Aoda's icy gaze had softened. “Our mages do not face the same dangers as yours, and so I can understand needing caution, but perhaps there is a middle ground between going unchecked and locking them away in a tower.”

“I agree. I have a few ideas, but we can’t implement them until the fighting has stopped and we completely seal the Breach.” 

“Of course, first things first.” Aoda nodded in agreement just as Josephine and Leliana entered the room with Cassandra close behind. 

“Excellent, you two are already here. We can start.” Cassandra took her place on Aoda’s left while Josephine and Leliana joined him on the other side of the table. 

“After speaking with Mother Giselle, found our way to Master Dennett at his home here.” Aoda rolled out a detailed map of the Hinterlands onto the table and marked a location. 

“We set up a camp here so we can better maintain our presence in this region, but it is still susceptible to attacks from both mages and Templars looking for supplies.” Cassandra indicated. 

“Master Dennett won’t consider joining the Inquisition until he knows his land will be safe. We have marked locations for watch towers to be built and then manned by Inquisition soldiers.” 

“We have already dealt with the rifts in that region as well as a pack of wolves that were affected by the rifts.” Cassandra marked more locations on the map, indicating where the rifts had been.

“I’m sorry, did you say that the wolves were affected by the rifts?” Josephine asked. 

“That is correct. They were more feral, and attacking livestock and people at increased rates. Most wolves have some sense of self preservation, these did not.” Cassandra frowned at the map. “I am concerned that this will not be the only instance of the rifts impacting wild life like this.” 

“We’ll cross that bridge when we get to it.”  Aoda sighed, “Where are we at regarding getting the mages or Templars to speak with us?” She asked Josephine. 

“I am working on getting them to open up to us.You being out and establishing our presence while closing the rifts is helping. I am also reaching out to some well-connected families in effort to improve our reputation and influence with nobility in Ferelden and Orlais.” 

“Mother Giselle has provided us with a list of names of clerics who she believes could be swayed to our cause given the right circumstances.” Leliana informed her.

“I think that having you,  Herald, address the Clerics directly will be the most beneficial.” Josephine suggested.

“Absolutely not. We don’t have enough of a presence in Val Royeaux to ensure the Herald’s safety.” Cullen shook his head. “We can’t just send her there on her own and pray that the Chantry won’t arrest her on the spot and have her executed before morning.”

“Then I will go with her. And we can take a couple of others to make sure she is well guarded.” Cassandra said, but Cullen did not look reassured.

“What are our alternatives? Continue trying to spread our influence while the Breach remains open? That’s too risky, and we all know it. A few priests don’t scare me. I have taken down much more formidable foes on my own. With a team, I will be fine.”  Aoda’s tone left no room for argument, so Cullen clenched his jaw and scowled. “Do you still have an issue with this, Commander?” 

“You can’t just go into the Capitol and electrocute anybody that gets in your way like on the battlefield. That would only drive the Chantry- and the Templars- farther away.”

Aoda huffed. “If there is any kind of physical altercation, I won’t be using magic. I  _ do _ know how to use a sword, you know. If it makes you feel better, we can spar before I leave. If I can hold my own against our Commander, the surely I’ll be fine with Cassandra, Varric, and Solas backing me up.” 

Cullen looked between her and Cassandra, before relenting with a sigh. “Very well. I have some free time in my schedule tomorrow that we can use for sparring.”  

“That sounds good to me. Is there anything else that we need to go over today?” Aoda looked to the other advisors.

“No, I believe we have covered everything.” Leliana smiled at Aoda as the rest of the war council started to leave the room. “I did have some questions for you about your armor, though.” 

“I’m more than happy to answer them.” Aoda smiled back at the spymaster as the two of them left the war room together. “It’s actually not a common armor back home. I know that void salts are used, but beyond that I cannot tell you what the material is. The enchantments however…” Aoda’s voice was cut off as they stepped out of the Chantry.

* * *

 

Aoda was already at the sparring ring when Cullen arrived with a training sword and shield in hand. He had taken off his cloak, leaving him in just his silverite armor. Aoda was in a set of sturdy leathers, her hair pulled back into a tight braid, and her own training sword in hand. 

“Still no shield?” Cullen asked her.

“Battlemages don’t use shields. We need to keep on hand open for casting at all times. I’ll sometimes summon another sword and dual wield.” 

“So are all battlemages train in armed combat as well as magic?” Cullen asked as she stretched out. 

“Battlemages refer to those of us who use melee weapons in combat. Archers are referred to as witch-hunters. My father was a Legate, a high ranked officer, in the Imperial Legion and had over two hundred battlemages under his command before he retired. The Legion has spent the last few years trying to get him to come out of retirement, if only just to train recruits how to summon with one hand and parry with the other.” Aoda punctuated her statement by picking up her sword and sinking into a fighting stance, ending the conversation.

Cullen readied his own sword and shield, and the two began circling each other, not yet striking as they measured one another up. While she didn't carry a shield, Cullen noticed that she kept her body positioned so that her unguarded side was further away from him, so he would have to move past her blade to take advantage of the potential opening. Even so, he still had a shield to protect him. He took the chance and lunged for her, blocking the first anticipated strike of her sword and turning quickly to bring his own blade about. Aoda was quicker, though, following his movement and using the momentum to bring her blade down and hooking it under his shield before yanking up and hitting him in the face with it.

“Maker's breath!” He swore as he ran his tongue along his jaw, checking for blood or cracks in his teeth. Aoda didn’t pause to let him recover, slamming her body into his shield to knock him off balance. Despite her small size, she was heavier than she looked, and Cullen found himself stumbling backwards trying to right himself. Aoda was out of his reach by the time he had steadied himself, and they were back to circling each other. 

Cullen went back in, making Aoda believe he was trying to get to her unguarded side again, and when she moved to counter him, he used the flat of his blade to smack the outside of her wrist, sending the blade skittering to the other side of the training ring, leaving her completely defenseless. He moved to take advantage of that, but Aoda immediately rolled out of the way towards her sword, snatching it up as she returned to her feet. 

“Your reflexes are remarkable. I’ve never seen somebody react so quickly to their sword being thrown like that.” He commented.

“Dodging dragonfire and undead that can disarm you with a Shout will do that to you after a few years.” Aoda rolled her shoulders and readied herself again. 

Cullen lowered his sword. “Disarm you with a shout?” He asked incredulously. “Is that the magic I heard you talking to Cassandra about?” 

“Yes. It’s an ancient magic that is rarely studied anymore, but was widely used thousands of years ago. Many kings were buried with hordes of their soldiers to guard their tombs. If someone were to enter the tomb, the soldiers would wake up and engage the intruder.” 

“And they could use this magic?” 

“Yes, it’s a bit of a pain when they’re up close. I would usually just Shout back at them.” 

“You entered these tombs often, then?” 

“Usually for academic purposes. Retrieving long lost artifacts for colleagues. Finding powerful magical objects to stop the dragons from rising up and ending the world again. Studying ancient inscriptions on the walls to strengthen my Thu’um. Just a part of being me.” 

“Not typical of the Arch Mage, then?” 

“Oh no. If every Arch Mage had to deal with half of the shit I do, Tamriel would have been a smoking ruin before the end of the First Era.”

Cullen relaxed further when Aoda set her sword against one of the posts that marked the sparring ring. “So what makes you different from the others?”

“Do you have time for the entire history of Tamriel, explanations of our gods, the cultures of our peoples, and how it all ties in?” She asked with a small smile.

“Surely it’s not that complicated.” 

“Unfortunately it is.” The look on her face became more melancholy for a brief moment. “Let’s just start with some translations.”

“Translations?” 

“Of course, you did want to know what Strundu’ul means.” 

“Ah, yes. And what you said to me on the battlefield. I’ve never heard anything like that language.”

“What I said to you on the battlefield.  _ Su'um ahrk morah _ _ , _ it means ‘breath and focus’ and is something my mentors would leave me with after a training session. Using the Thu’um requires both in large amounts. These particular mentors are also the ones that bestowed upon me the title of  _ Strundu’ul,  _ or Stormcrown after the final trial they required during my training.”

Cullen thought on what Aoda was sharing with him. The more he learned about her, the more glaringly obvious it was that she was not of Thedas and that her home wasn’t just on the other side of Tevinter, undiscovered by any of the countries that made up the continent. “You must be missing them.” 

Aoda nodded. “I do. I had been planning to visit them before I ended up here. Spend a few weeks on the mountain, meditating at the top of the Throat of the World, reflecting on knowledge I had gained since my last visit. Now I can’t use my Thu’um, and I don’t know why.” 

“Isn’t it just like your other magic? You haven’t had issues with that as far as I’ve seen.” 

Aoda shook her head. “No, it’s as if when I try to use it, something is interfering. I didn’t realize how much it was a part of me until it was gone.” 

“So do you use this language when you use your Thu’um? Perhaps if there is a similar language spoken in Thedas, we can find a way to try using that language instead?” Cullen tried to make his voice sound hopeful, if only to take the morose look from her face.

“It’s Dovahzul. The language of the dragons.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The amount of comments this has been getting has really helped keep me motivated to keep writing so I can get you guys updates on a regular basis! Knowing people are not only interested but actually enjoying what I write keeps away the evil brain gremilns that tell me to not bother writing.


	5. Tinvaak

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tinvaak - Conversation

**Aoda**

 

She watched with mild amusement as Cullen processed what she said. “I’m sorry,” he began, “but did you say the  _ dragon tongue? _ ” 

“I did.” Aoda confirmed. “Do your dragons not speak here?” 

Cullen gaped at her, “Not that I’m aware of. I confess, I have not gotten close enough to a dragon to try and strike up conversation with it.” 

“If you ever get a chance, I highly recommend it.  Tinvaak  with a dov, a dragon, is an enlightening experience. At least it was in Tamriel."

“ Tinvaak ?” Cullen asked, then doubled back, “Wait, are you telling me that you’ve spoken with a dragon?”  

“It comes with wearing the Stormcrown. Dragons are very… selective in their speech. Every meaning of a word is considered before they speak it. Names and titles are merit based, and describe the dov’s personality or reputation.” Aoda gasped as a realization hit her. “That’s it! I need to slay a dragon!” 

Cullen paled slightly. “You need to- what?”

“That’s how I first gained the ability to Shout! I don’t know why I didn’t think of that before! I’ll have to look into that dragon near Redcliffe.”  Aoda picked up her training sword and leapt over the fence that marked off the ring. 

“Aoda, hold on!”  Cullen called after her, scrambling to follow her. “You can’t just go off and fight a dragon. We need to prepare soldiers, I don’t even think we have the manpower to spare to fight a dragon right now.” 

“Well you don't have to worry about that. I've fought plenty of dragons on my own.” she informed him, full of pride.

“I thought you just said you talked to dragons. You fight them too?”

“Some dragons isolate themselves on mountaintops and meditate. Others attack towns and try to eat people.”

Cullen didn't respond, just staring at her incredulously. 

Aoda continued, her voice softer so only he could hear, “Besides, dragons were not my only worries. I’m half tempted to summon my Dremora butler to get you some books so you may better understand what I am.”

“What you are?” Cullen pressed.

“Dragonborn. One must be Dragonborn in order for the Greybeards to bestow the title of  _ Strundu'ul. _ ”

“Dragonborn?” Cullen furrowed his brows as he thought on that.

“Legend says that the gods send a Dragonborn when Tamriel is in great need. The last one was six hundred years ago and he founded the Cyrodiilic Empire and is now known as Talos, the God of War and Strategy, in some cultures. Some believe that the Dragonborn have the soul of a dragon and that's what makes us so powerful, others think dragon blood runs in our veins.”

“And you said you found out when you killed a dragon for the first time?”

“Right. There are two things all Dragonborn can do. The first is to Shout without the years of training that everybody else requires. The second is that we absorb the souls, and thus the power, of dragons we slay.” 

“Maker's breath.” Cullen backed up to the bales of hay that served as seating around the sparring ring and sat down. “So what happens when you absorb their power?” He asked as he looked at her. 

“I didn’t really notice much of a difference at first. I gained  _ some _ knowledge. Learned some of the dragon tongue, but that was all I could tell at the time. I’m fortunate for that, I’m sure it would have been much more overwhelming.” Aoda strode over to the hay bales and sat down next to Cullen. “It was around my tenth dragon that started noticing other things. I could cast more easily. I could pick up skills faster. My temper was the most obvious. I would get angry at the smallest things. I spent a lot of time meditating to rein it in, and still do. I started sleeping less and always had so much pent up energy.

I ended up taking this kid in from a village I was passing through as some sort of student. He wanted to get away from the farm and go on adventures, and I needed somebody to remind me that I was still human. He made sure I got at least a few hours of sleep every night and ate semi-regularly. He was a good kid.”

“Was? I’m so sorry-” Cullen began to apologize, but Aoda cut him off by putting her hand up.

“Nothing bad happened. He’s married now. I have property in almost every hold, so he’s become sort of my primary steward and chief housecarl. He married one of my other housecarls. Erik and Argis make a lovely couple and he's much happier.”

Cullen nodded as he rubbed the back of his neck. The look in his eyes made it evident that he was processing everything. “So is that why you feel so… powerful? The dragon souls?”

Aoda shrugged, looking away from Cullen and to the field where Rylen was drilling soldiers. “Probably. You can't take the souls of fifty or so dragons and not be changed.”

Cullen sputtered, “Fifty? You've killed fifty dragons?”

“At least. I usually had Erik with me. If we were close to a town, guards would help. But there have been times when it was just me.” Aoda plastered on a too-cheery smile and looked to Cullen again. “So you still think I can't handle a few men in Val Royeaux?”

“I'd still prefer that you make an effort to avoid confrontations, but you're right. You are more than capable of handling yourself.” Cullen returned her smile with a small one of his own.

“I’ll avoid using magic if I can help it.” Aoda placed a hand on his shoulder reassuringly. “And when I get back you can tell me something about Thedas lore or history so we can be even again.”

“You leave in the morning, then?” 

“We might as well. Nothing is getting accomplished by putting it off.” Aoda sighed. “I should go pack. And talk to Harritt about getting some different armor.

“Is there something wrong with your armor? If it needs repairs, I'm sure we can find any special supplies it needs.”

“There's nothing wrong, however the leather needs to be treated with void salts. According to the alchemist, they aren't something available in Thedas. This set of armor is unique and I'd rather not risk irreversible damage happen to it. Same goes with the blue robes I was wearing when we met. Those have even more sentimental value and quite a few enchantments.” Aoda smiled at him. “I should get going. I’ve taken up enough of your afternoon and I do need to get packed before we leave at first light.”

“Yes, of course.” Cullen stood with her and took their training swords. “I’ll put these away.” He looked her in the eye for a moment before averting his gaze with a slight blush on his cheeks and saying in a near whisper. “Breath and focus.”

Aoda smiled warmly at him, “ _ Su’um  _ _ ahrk morah, _ I will return with good news.” She promised before she left for her cabin to pack.

 

 

* * *

 

  
  


What was supposed to be a week long venture turned into two, leaving Aoda in a foul mood as she rode past the gates into Haven. Inquisition soldiers saluted her and her companions. She groaned in relief when her boots crunched in the snow as she dismounted in front of the stables. Vivienne immediately began fussing with a servant over her luggage while Varric and Sera made a beeline for the tavern. 

A messenger approached Aoda and saluted her, “Herald, in anticipation of your return, your cabin has been prepared with a bath so that you may freshen up before the council meeting.”

Aoda blinked in surprise. “Thank you. It was not necessary for you to do that, but I appreciate it. Please give my thanks to whoever arranged it.”

“Of course, Herald.” The messenger left her to finish unpacking her saddle bags. Aoda allowed a stable hand to take over grooming her mount while she traipsed back to her cabin. 

As promised, there was a large tub filled with steaming water. Aoda wasted no time stripping off her armor and sinking into the bath with a relieved sigh. She lay back, letting the hot water ease her stiff and sore muscles and closed her eyes.

Aoda woke with a start to the sound of rattling near the door. Instinct took over and she turned around, a lightning spell ready to attack the intruder if they meant her harm. Her gaze landed on Cullen, his golden eyes wide and his face red. 

“We- oh Maker’s breath.” Cullen clapped a gloved hand over his eyes, reminding Aoda that she was still in the bath. And very much naked. 

“Give me a moment,” Aoda focused all of her magicka into a single invisibility spell, “Illusion magic isn’t my school of specialty, but you should be unable to see me now.” She told him after her body disappeared.

Cullen peeked in her direction through his fingers, removing his hand, he still turned so his back was to her to give her more privacy as she dried off and dressed in the robes she wore as Arch Mage. “We’ve been waiting for you in the council chamber. After a while we began to worry, so I offered to look for you.”

“My apologies.” Aoda said as the spell wore off while she pulled the smoky gray and gold mantle on over her robes. “I didn’t intend to fall asleep in the bath.” 

“You’ve nothing to apologize for. The road from Val Royeaux is exhausting.  I completely understand.”

“It wasn’t the travel itself. Sera and Madame de Fer were bickering the entire time.” Aoda sat on her bed to lace up her boots, “If I didn’t know from experience that we would likely need connections from both of them I’d have just left them behind.”

“You think we will?” Cullen turned to face her, his face still red. 

“I work with many organizations in Skyrim. Some of them happen to be more… underground than others.”

“I see.” Cullen stepped back and held open the door to the cabin so Aoda could leave before he shut the door. “I erm- I had a question, if you didn’t mind my asking?”

“Ask away.” Aoda smiled warmly as his hand rubbed at his neck in what appeared to be a nervous habit.

“Earlier, when I saw you. N-not that I was looking.” Cullen’s blush returned as he stammered. “Andraste preserve me.”

“I take no offense, even if you were.” Aoda chuckled as Cullen’s blush deepened even further.

“Maker’s breath.” He stopped in his tracks and appeared to compose himself, “I- I couldn’t help but notice the scars on your shoulder.”

“Ah, those.” Aoda rubbed absently at her left shoulder, where the scars from her first battle with Alduin were. “That’s a story for another time.” She said more harshly than she had intended, regretting it almost immediately.

“I understand.” Cullen’s voice was soft, and she knew he meant it. They entered the Chantry in silence, nodding in greeting to those they passed. Once again, Cullen held the door to the war room open for Aoda and let her pass before entering himself and shutting the door behind him.

“There you are Herald, we were beginning to worry about you.” Josephine said in way of greeting. “Lady Cassandra was just updating us on what transpired in Val Royeaux and how you gained the support of Madame de Fer. I’m glad you did. Her influence in Orlais will certainly help sway things in our favor.”

“And having a connection to the Red Jennies will be of great use, as well.” Leliana added as she moved a marker on the map and scribbled notes on a piece of parchment in front of her. 

“After the events in Val Royeaux the Templars have informed us that they are ready to begin discussing a potential alliance with us. Josephine continued on. 

“Excellent. We’ve also been invited by Grand Enchanter Fiona to talk with her about a possible alliance as well. She is awaiting us in Redcliffe. If we have to make a choice, as things stand, I would rather have the Templars assisting us. What I’ve learned about magic and the Fade here makes me hesitant to add more magic to the Breach. Weakening it is a better option, so let me know whatever we need to do in order to gain the Templars’ support. I’ll make sure it gets done, within reason.” Aoda watched as her companions around the table gaped at her. 

“I will admit, I did not expect you to side with the Templars.” Cassandra was the first to speak.

“Honestly, at first, I was sure that I would ask the mages for assistance. However I’ve come to realize that magic here is not as stable as it is in Tamriel. It’s more…. How do I describe it?” Aoda sighed and looked at her hands. “It’s more chaotic? That’s what it feels like to me when I cast here. Add the demons and risk of possession on top of that, and it’s a recipe for disaster. The risk is too great.”

“You have put considerable thought into this. I appreciate that.” Cullen remarked, his face unreadable. “I’m relieved we won’t have to worry about what to do with all of the mages if they succumbed to possession.”

“I’ve seen what happens when magic goes wrong in Tamriel. It’s never torn a hole in the sky and I don’t want to know what else uncontrolled magic can do here.” Aoda frowned. “I will still speak with Grand Enchanter Fiona, if only to just hear her out. She may be able to provide additional information or a point of view we haven’t considered. By the time I return, the Templars should be ready to talk.”

There was a knock on the door, drawing everybody’s attention. “Enter,” Cullen ordered. A messenger opened the door and saluted them. 

“Pardon the interruption, but there is a Cremisius Aclassi out here wanting to speak with somebody about a mercenary group that wants to work with the Inquisition.”

“Mercenaries? What mercenary group?” Leliana asked. 

“The Bull’s Chargers, Sister Leliana.” The messenger said.

“I’ve heard of them. They’re some of the best, but expensive. Go ahead and let them in.” Leliana waved her hand in a circular motion to emphasise her point.

A man wearing heavy armor was ushered in. His hair was longer on top, and the sides were shaved, a style that Aoda had noticed some of the soldiers wearing. He stood at parade rest, and introduced himself. “I’m Lieutenant Alcassi, here on behalf of the Bull’s Chargers. The chief wants to extend an invitation to the Inquisition to assess us and discuss a mutually beneficial arrangement. He has some information on a Tevinter group that might have had something to do with the hole in the sky.”

“Very well,” Cullen rested his hand on the pommel of his sword, “Where are the Chargers currently?”

“We’ve got a camp close to one of yours on the Storm Coast.”

“And how did your chief find this information about the Tevinter organization?” Leliana asked. 

“The chief has his sources. I’m not at liberty to discuss them until something more formal is decided.”

“That is completely understandable, I thank you for seeking us out.” Aoda nodded to him. “My peers and I will discuss this and let you know shortly.”

“Of course.” The man turned on his heel and left the room with the messenger that had brought him. 

Once the door was shut, Aoda turned to the others. “So, among the best, but expensive? Should we pursue this?” 

“I think it might be worth it. There are rumors about Iron Bull and his Chargers. If they’re true, then they could be a valuable asset for us.” Leliana pointed out.

“I agree. Even if there is nothing to the rumors you speak of, I’ve also heard of the Chargers and they are skilled warriors that would make a fine addition to our ranks.” Cullen added. 

“Very well.” Aoda studied the map, pursing her lips in thought. “I’d rather not keep the Grand Enchanter waiting longer than I have to. I can meet with her in the Hinterlands and then make a detour to the Storm Coast before I return to meet with the Chargers.”

“There is another thing that I would appreciate you looking into while you are in the Hinterlands.” Leliana pointed to a marked position in the region. “My agents have been looking into the recent disappearances of the Grey Wardens, an order of elite warriors. Entire fortresses now sit empty, and nobody has heard anything from them in months. This is not normal and is cause for concern, especially with recent events.”

“So what’s in this area?” Aoda asked.

“My scouts have located a Grey Warden recruiter that is staying in the area that goes by the name of Blackwall. I’d like to see if he knows anything about the disappearances, or if the Grey Wardens were involved in the explosion at the Conclave.”

“You think the Grey Wardens might have been involved?” Josephine asked, her eyebrows raised.

“We can’t rule them out, Josie. Unfortunately we have to consider it.” The look on Leliana’s face was stormy. “You know this isn’t something I say lightly.”

“Of course, it is simply not something I would expect the Grey Wardens to involve themselves with. The Order does not typically involve themselves in matters such as these..”

“I’m terribly sorry, but I’m missing some key information here. What are Grey Wardens?”

“The Grey Wardens are an elite order of soldiers that are hand selected to fight the darkspawn and Blights.” Cullen offered in way of explanation. “They are loyal to no crown or country, and are hailed as heroes by many because of their history of saving Thedas.”

“During my time traveling with The Warden, I learned that the Grey Wardens are capable of anything, even the things we like to think are impossible.” Leliana shook her head. “We cannot rule them out until we have more information.”

“Then I’ll go out and get more information.” Aoda straightened up, looking to Cullen, “Do we know if those watchtowers in the Hinterlands were completed?” 

“Yes, I received word yesterday that they were finished and rotations established.” 

“Excellent, Master Dennett will be pleased.” Aoda looked to the others around the table. “Was there anything else we needed to discuss?” 

“No, Herald. I believe we have covered everything.” Josephine smiled at her. 

“Excellent. If you’ll excuse me, I’m going to check on how Madame de Fer and Sera are settling in.” Aoda went to open the door, but Cullen’s hand reached the handle first. 

“Allow me,” He smiled at her, golden eyes warm and inviting as he opened the door and held it open for her. He allowed the other ladies to file out, but Aoda could feel his eyes lingering on her back as she set off to find the newest members of the Inquisition.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Holidays to everybody! I hope you've had a wonderful 2018! If not, then I hope that 2019 brings all of the joy you deserve!


	6. Tiid Ahraan

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tiid Ahraan - Time Wounds

**Cullen**

 

Cullen squinted his eyes against the sun reflecting off the snow on the ground, the light making his head throb painfully.  He rubbed at his temples, trying to alleviate some of the pain. He felt Aoda’s presence before he saw her, and turned to see her in a new set of armor, leathers dyed dark in an attempt to match the look of her other armor. There was no cloak or hooded cowl on this set, leaving her flaxen hair free in the cold mountain air. 

“May I?” She asked, offering her hand to him, bathed in the gold glow of her healing magic.

“I-er, yes.” He stammered, stunned by the offer. He forced himself to hold still as she extended her hand towards his face and the magic washed over him in warm waves. His headache subsided, but the look on Aoda’s face darkened slightly. She didn't bring up what bothered her, which Cullen was grateful for. He wasn't ready to tell her about his problems with Lyrium, and everything else that came with it. “Thank you,” He murmured to her.

“Do you experience headaches like this often?” She asked when she pulled her hand away.

“Yes,” He admitted. “Today is worse than usual, but they're almost daily.”

Aoda frowned, “I might have some potions that can help you. Alchemy here seems to have less variety in what it can do, so maybe adding some ingredients from Tamriel will do the trick.”

“I assure you, it's not necessary.” Cullen tried to protest, but he could see that Aoda wouldn't be changing her mind.

“It may not be necessary, but I want to do it. You shouldn't be in constant pain if you don't have to be. Besides, I have an overstock of potions in Tamriel that are just gathering dust on my shelves. It will just take a quick moment with my Dremora butler and we can see if it works.”

Cullen sighed, “Very well. Summon your… Dremora, was it?”

Aoda shook her head, “Not here. The last thing we need is the kind of chaos any kind of summoning would do here. Let's head back to my cabin.”

Cullen nodded stiffly and followed Aoda through Haven, waving off messengers that tried to approach. When they reached her cabin she opened the door and waved him in, locking it behind them. He tried to suppress the memory of the last time he had been in the small one room building, scaring Aoda out of her bath and his inability to look away from her body in his shock. 

Aoda took a deep breath as she stepped closer to the center of the room closing her eyes and waving her hand in an upward gesture. A cloud of purple smoke bloomed from the floor, and a figure in fine clothing stepped out of it. Cullen backed against the wall, his heart hammering. The smoke dissipated instantly leaving just the three of them. Cullen gaped at the newcomer. He looked similar to a Qunari, though much smaller than any he had seen, with blood red markings decorating his face and a second set of smaller horns protruding from his head.

“Ah, my lady, what can I do for you?” He asked. His voice was smooth and pleasant, but did nothing to ease Cullen's nerves.

“Would it be possible for you to venture to Lakeview Manor and get me a variety of healing potions?” Aoda asked the Dremora.

“Certainly ma’am. Do you require anything else?” The butler asked.

“Not at the moment. Thank you.” Aoda waved her hand again and it disappeared with another cloud of the purple smoke. 

Cullen finally found his voice, “I can see why you were hesitant to do that around others.” 

“That's the first time I've summoned anything since I've been here that wasn't a weapon.” Aoda avoided his gaze. “I didn't realize how heavily I relied on the School of Conjuration until I couldn't.”

“You can summon other things?” Cullen asked, his voice tight. “Like that?”

“I feel that summoning Atronachs would not go over well here. They're too similar to what you call demons and I'm not Interested in stirring more suspicion of myself and my intentions. Luckily I have more people helping me than I did in Tamriel, so summoning isn't as necessary.” She looked as if she were about to say more, but the return of the butler caught her attention. “Excellent, if you could put those on the table, please?” She strode to the table as the Dremora began to pull bottles with little rolls of parchment tied to then with twine. She picked up the bottles one by one and read the scrolls, before shaking her head and setting them down.  Every once in a while she would hum and put a bottle aside, continuing even after the Dremora bowed and disappeared again. Eventually, she had ten bottles set aside. “The next time your head hurts, try one of these. I'm going to have him bring me ingredients once we figure out what combination works best for you. Keep the bottles that work and discard the ones that don't.”

Cullen nodded, gathering the bottles in his arms so he could take them to his tent. “Thank you.” He felt that he couldn't properly express the gratitude he felt at her kindness. “You're leaving this afternoon?”

“If Madame de Fer can ever finish preparing for travel. I swear she's worse than my sisters preparing to leave for the Imperial City.” Aoda huffed and rolled her eyes.

“I promise, it’s not just your sisters that take a long time to get ready.” Cullen chuckled. “I remember waiting what felt like ages for my older sister get ready to only go to the town market.”

“How many do you have?” Aoda asked.

“I have two, Mia is the oldest and Rosalie is the second youngest. I also have a younger brother, Branson. What about you?”

“I'm the oldest of five sisters. Oldest to youngest there’s Laelette, Sabine, Gisele, and Florinna. All of us skilled mages, none of us enlisted with the Legion, much to our father's disappointment.”

“Disappointment?” Cullen shifted, the glass bottles clinking against his armor. “My parents did everything they could to convince me away from leaving home to join the Order. I can't imagine having the opposite problem.”

“As I've said before, my family has produced some of the most powerful Battlemages in recent history. My father was the last one to join the Legion.” A knock on the door caught their attention, “Enter.” She commanded.

The door opened to reveal Varric, ready for travel. “We're ready to leave. Iron Lady finally got all of her clothes packed.”

“Finally.” Aoda picked up a bag that had been lying on the bed as they left the cabin. “We'll write as we have updates.”

“Thank you, Aoda. Breath and focus.” Cullen said to her, prompting a bright smile from her that sent his heart into another frenzy.

“Breath and focus.” She half whispered to him before setting off with Varric towards the gates.

* * *

 

_ Cullen, _

_ Things have changed. Information too sensitive for messenger. Will tell you more when we return to Haven _

_ -A.S. _

 

Cullen stood at the war table and glared at the parchment, crumpled and smoothed out by his own hands countless times since he had received it. The messages that Aoda had sent prior had been full of detail: injuries notated, new supporters of the Inquisition recruited, even her own personal observations on more differences between her home and Thedas. The vague message that had been hastily scribbled caused an uneasy knot to form in his gut. 

Distantly, he heard the blaring of horns, signalling an arrival. He resisted the urge to go and meet the returning party, not wanting to worry the soldiers with his nerves. He expected Aoda and Cassandra to take the time to bathe first, and blinked in surprise when they burst into the room with Josephine and Leliana in tow. Cassandra’s face was more dour than usual, but Aoda’s expression was downright stormy. Dark circles sat under her eyes and her entire body was tense. She was still in her armor, and her cheeks were flushed from the cold. 

As soon as the door was securely shut, Aoda started pacing. Her agitation was contagious, and everybody in the room shifted while they waited for her to speak. “I don’t even know where to begin.” Aoda stopped and braced herself against the table, glaring at the map. “I have seen quite a bit in my travels, but this…” She huffed and ran a hand through her hair, removing the leather cord keeping it tied up and letting the blonde locks fall free. 

Cassandra spoke up, “Grand Enchanter Fiona does not remember inviting us to meet in while we were in Val Royeaux. She claims that she has not been there for months.”

“So we’re dealing with a possible impersonator that’s taken the identity of the Grand Enchanter?” Josephine asked.

“I  _ wish _ that was the only problem.” Aoda growled, “A Magister from Tevinter, Alexius, has taken over Redcliffe. The Grand Enchanter indentured herself and the other mages to Alexius in exchange for protection.”

“Andraste preserve us.” Cullen groaned. “I imagine you spoke with Alexius?”

“Not for long. His son feigned ill, and pretended to faint. Aoda caught him and he slipped her a note requesting to meet him at the Chantry. Alexius’s former student was there and his son soon joined us. They informed us that Alexius is part of a Tevinter supremacist cult that calls themselves the Venatori. They told us that they believe that Alexius and the Venatori are interested in Aoda, though they do not know why.”

“That certainly is troubling.” Leliana crossed her arms, “But something tells me that is not all.”

“ _ Tiid ahraan _ .” Aoda spat, fury in her eyes. “Alexius is altering time with his magic. I have experienced time magic before in Tamriel, but he is creating what we call Time Wounds. The amount of power it takes for just one…” Aoda trailed off and shook her head. “We need to put a stop to him before he rips apart time itself.”

“Perhaps the Iron Bull can assist with the information he has. After we were made aware of what has been going on in Redcliffe, we rode to the Storm Coast as quickly as we could to meet up with the Chargers. Aoda and I can let you three speak with him and figure out how the Inquisition want to work with them.”

Aoda looked ready to protest, but Cullen cleared his throat to get the attention of the rest of the room. “We should let the Chargers settle in first before we begin any negotiations. And since you two are in the field, it gives another perspective that will be valuable.”

“In the meantime, you two should get some rest.” Leliana encouraged. “It will take some time to get the Chargers settled, and you look like you’ve not slept a wink in the last week.”

Aoda nodded, “You’re right. I should… I should try to sleep. And maybe meditate.” She paused, seeming to search for the words she needed. “I apologize for the slip in my temper. The last time I felt something like I did in Redcliffe…” She trailed off, and absently rubbed at her shoulder, right where Cullen knew a set of angry red scars lay. The look in her eyes was distant and haunted, a look he recognized all too well. 

“Leliana is right, you should get some rest.” Cullen encouraged. “I can come wake you when we're ready to talk with Iron Bull.”

Aoda nodded wordlessly, letting Cassandra guide her out of the room. Cullen watched them leave, ignoring the urge to go with them and make sure Aoda was okay.

“It seems that the Herald has somebody moonstruck.” Leliana crooned with a smirk, causing Josephine to giggle. 

“It appears so, I never expected to see our Commander nanny over somebody like that.”

Cullen felt himself blush deeply at their observations. “The Herald has gone out of her way to make sure everyone's needs are taken care of, even if it is not her duty. If I am the one that makes sure she doesn't forget to take care of herself, so be it. I wouldn't exactly call that being ‘moonstruck’ Leliana.”

“Ah, but going to wake her yourself rather than sending a messenger tells me that this is more than just professional concern and returning the favor.” Leliana continued to tease.

“Of course, there is nothing wrong with it, Commander. She is a beautiful woman. And she seems to have taken a liking to you as well.” Josephine added with an encouraging smile.

“This is ridiculous. Surely we have better things to do than discuss my  _ purely professional _ relationship with the Herald.” Cullen growled as he gathered his things to leave. “I'm going to go oversee accommodations for the Chargers.” 

Once the Chargers had been settled, Iron Bull informed Cullen that he was ready to talk with the advisors. As promised, Cullen made his way to Aoda's cabin and knocked on the door, listening closely to make sure he wasn't interrupting her bath again. His eyes widened when he heard a pained groan, and he pushed the door open while keeping a hand on the hilt of his sword. 

He relaxed when he saw that the only Aoda was in the cabin. She lay in the bed, her face contorted as she mumbled in her sleep. Cullen approached quietly, not wanting to startle her and risk being electrocuted by her magic.

As he drew closer, he could make out what she was saying, “ _ Ni piraak kel. Kel viik tiid ahraan.” _

“Aoda,” He called softly, placing a hand on her shoulder. “Aoda, wake up. It's only a dream.” He shook her gently. Aoda's eyes shot open and she jerked away from his touch with a gasp as if burned. “It's okay,” Cullen continued to try to soothe her, “It was only a dream.”

Aoda looked around the room rapidly, as if trying to remember where she was. She finally nodded and sighed. “I'm sorry. The Time Wounds affected me more than I realized.”

“You have nothing to apologize for. I'm curious, though. What exactly is a Time Wound? Why is it bothering you so much?” Cullen grabbed a chair from across the room and set it down next to the bed, straddling it so he could lean forward against the back of it.

Aoda got out from underneath the blankets and arranged herself so she was sitting upright facing Cullen. “Per legend, the dov are the children of Akatosh, the god of time. Because of this, we are more… sensitive to the currents of time and any irregularities within it. Some of these irregularities are called Time Wounds by the dov because that's exactly what they feel like to us. Linear time is distorted or broken. I experienced one first hand, and used it to my advantage to learn a Shout to fulfill my destiny as the Last Dragonborn. I used the power of a  _ kel,  _ an Elder Scroll, to send myself back to the Dragon War.” Aoda rubbed at her shoulder again and grimaced.

“Is that how you got those?” Cullen nodded to her shoulder, referring to the scars hidden by her tunic.

“Kind of. When I returned, Alduin was waiting for me. It was the first time we faced each other in battle, and he nearly won. He had sunk his teeth into me just as I wrapped myself in a lightning cloak.” Aoda closed her eyes and shuddered. “It almost killed me.”

“Who is Alduin?” Cullen asked, knowing he was missing an important detail.

“Alduin the World Eater. The firstborn of Akatosh. Thousands of years ago, he ruled Tamriel with his army of dragons and the Dragon Cult. The humans rebelled and started the Dragon War and eventually used the Elder Scroll to send him forward in time, to the present day.”

“And it was your responsibility to defeat him?” Cullen asked. When Aoda nodded, he continued. “Did you?”

“Yes, I managed to travel to Sovngarde, the land of the dead. He was hiding there and devouring the souls of the recently departed. I joined forces with the Tongues of old legend and together we destroyed him once and for all.” She looked up at him and smiled shyly. “That's the short version of it.”

“The short version? Maker's breath.” Cullen tried to process everything she was telling him. 

“Correct. There are countless books on the subject.” Aoda tucked a stray lock of hair behind her ear. “I can get some for you, if you'd like more details.”

Cullen nodded, “I'd certainly like to know more. I can imagine it's difficult to talk about.”

Aoda nodded solemnly. “I kept a journal of my adventures and donated parts of them to the Bards’ College so they can preserve the history. It was easier than sitting through hours of questions. Some things had to remain secret, but they were fine with that.” Aoda waved her hand and Cullen turned to see her Dremora butler emerge.

“What can I do for you, ma'am?” He asked.

“I need some books for my friend here. Alduin is Real and The Book of the Dragonborn please.”

“Of course, ma’am.” Rather than disappear like he had with the potions, the Dremora snapped his fingers and the books appeared in his hands with a puff of smoke. “Fortunately I still have access to Apocrypha’s vast library.”

“Thank you, you are dismissed.” Aoda banished him with a wave of her hand after he set the books on her bedside table. “Those will be a good start. If you have any other interests that you want me to get books on, please do not hesitate to ask.” 

“Thank you.” Cullen said as he picked up the top book. Bound in black leather, it was worn and there was a dragon symbol embossed in silver on the front cover. Tracing it with his fingers, he continued, “I imagine that even this much was hard to talk about. It sounds like you've had a lot on your shoulders and now you're here in a strange place and even more has been thrust upon you.”

“I'm used to it, unfortunately.” Aoda sighed. “Ah well, you came to wake me, so I imagine that we need to talk with Iron Bull?”

Cullen blinked, he had completely forgotten about the negotiations with Iron Bull. “That would be correct.” He stood and offered his hand to Aoda, letting her use him to pull herself up from the bed. “Shall we?” he asked as he guided them to the door and opened it for them.

“We shall,” Aoda smiled at him and they walked to the Chantry together, with Cullen doing nothing to fight the warm fluttering in his chest.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ni piraak kel. Kel viik tiid ahraan [roughly] "I don't have an Elder Scroll. An Elder Scroll can stop the Time Wounds"
> 
> Things are heating up. Next chapter is going to have much more action!


	7. Dinoksetiid

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dinoksetiid - the death of time

**Aoda**

 

She could feel the Time Wounds, even from Haven. They pulled at her senses and drove her to distraction and brought nightmares about facing Alduin at the Throat of the World years ago. She felt immeasurable relief when they finally put together a plan for how to deal with Alexius and his ‘invitation.’ 

As she was preparing her bag for the journey to Redcliffe, she heard a knock on the door. 

“Enter” she commanded without looking up from her task even as the door opened and her visitor stepped into her cabin.

At the sound of a clearing throat she looked over her shoulder to see Cullen standing in the center of the room holding a glass vial. “I've tried all of the potions you gave me.” He stepped forward and offered the vial to her. “This is the one that worked best for the pain.”

Aoda took the vial and unrolled the scroll tied to it to read the ingredients, waving to summon her butler as she did. When it had fully appeared, she turned to it, “I need some preserved skeever hide, blue mountain flowers, and mudcrab chitin please.”

“Certainly, ma'am.” The Dremora bowed and vanished, reappearing shortly with the requested ingredients. Aoda took them and began preparing them for brewing. She stuck the skeever hide on a spit and moved it over the fire, and then she poured water into a pot and set it over the fire to boil while she began breaking down the chitin in a mortar and pestle she had borrowed from Adan.

“About how long did the potion ease your pain for?” Aoda asked Cullen as she worked on grinding the chitin into a fine powder. 

“A couple of days actually. It was quite a relief.” Cullen told her as he sat in one of the chairs. “It was incredible being able to wake up feeling refreshed for once.”

Aoda hummed as she paused to throw the dried flowers into the boiling water and turn the piece of hide so the skin would be charred evenly on all sides. “Alchemy here hasn't made nearly as many advances as we have in Tamriel, I've noticed. I don't know if that's a result of the attitudes towards magic or lack of experimentation.”

“Is alchemy considered a part of magical training in Tamriel?” Cullen asked as he moved the chair closer to watch Aoda work. 

“Not technically. Every mage knows how to make their own potions, as do quite a few housewives in all of the provinces, but it's more out of necessity than anything else. It's more cost effective to brew your own magicka restoration and disease curing potions than it is to buy them. I'm a fair alchemist only because I've had to keep myself supplied for my travels.” Aoda pulled the skeever hide from the fire and tossed it into the pot with the flowers and allowed it to continue to steep. 

“There was something else I was meaning to talk to you about.” Cullen cleared his throat, “I still don’t like that you’re meeting Alexius in Redcliffe Castle. There has to be somewhere else.” Aoda averted her gaze away from Cullen's and continued to grind the mortar and pestle together, even though the chitin was as fine as she could get it. “If our plan fails and Alexius manages to capture you, or worse, it's going to be impossible for our soldiers to get in and rescue you.” Aoda heard the chair creak as he got up and stepped close to her before she felt his gloved hands on her shoulders moving her to face him. “This is not a risk you have to take.”

“If I don't deal with Alexius, then who will? If there is something I can do to put things right, then I will do just that. I didn't have to do a lot of things that I did back in Skyrim, but it wasn't worth risking the safety of so many innocents to wait for somebody else to handle it.” Aoda watched as the look in Cullen's eyes softened considerably at her words. 

“Just…” Cullen closed his eyes and sighed softly, “Promise me that you will do everything to make sure you get out safely.” He opened his eyes and looked as if he wanted to say more, but Cullen was interrupted by urgent knocking on Aoda's cabin door. 

Aoda stepped away from Cullen, a blush heating her face as she turned back towards her potion. “Come in!” She called over her shoulder as Cullen turned towards the fire, his hand flying to the back of his neck. 

“Ah, Curly, good morning!” Varric smiled at Cullen before turning to Aoda, “We’re set to ride for Redcliffe when you are.” Varric’s voice could be heard from the door.

“Thank you, Varric. I need to put the finishing touches on this potion and I'll be ready.” Aoda looked over her shoulder to smile reassuringly at the dwarf, “Nothing too complex, I’ll be just a moment.”

“No problem. Bull and I will meet you at the gates.” Varric nodded at Cullen before he left.

Aoda dumped the powdered chitin into the pot and stirred it until the potion thickened. “This still needs to simmer for a while yet. It should be ready by the time the dinner bell rings. Then it can be bottled up. I have plenty of bottles in here,” Aoda waved at a cabinet door, and it opened, revealing dozens of glass bottles of varying sizes.

“I don’t know how to thank you for this.” 

“It’s not necessary, Cullen, I assure you. I’m just glad I can help.” Aoda smiled at him as she picked up her bag, shouldering it so it sat comfortably on her back. 

Her smile faded as she felt a tug at her consciousness. “ _ Pahlok joor, _ ” She hissed.

“What is it? What does that mean?” Cullen asked, worry evident on his face. 

“I said ‘arrogant mortal,’ I felt more  _ tiid ahraan _ , time wounds, open.” Aoda frowned. “Alexius has no idea what he’s doing. Unfortunately nobody else can feel just how serious this is, which is why I’m not willing to wait to deal with him.”

Cullen nodded solemnly, “Then I will not delay you further. Be safe.”

Aoda nodded in acknowledgement before rushing out to join Bull and Varric.

* * *

 

“Are you alright? Alexius didn't manage to kill us; but he sent us somewhere or rather, somewhen.” Dorian held out his hand to help her up. 

“I'm uninjured. Can't say as much for the currents of time.” Aoda groaned as she felt the gaping hole in time that had opened with whatever Alexius had done to her and Dorian.

“You seem to be taking the danger to time itself much more seriously than your companions.” Dorian observed as he looked around.

“This isn’t the first time I’ve dealt with time magic. It just happens to be much worse.” Aoda explained. “Once we get back and fix this mess, I might tell you.”

“Might? Oh how mysterious.” Dorian quipped back just before two guards burst through the door. 

Not caring what Dorian thought of it, Aoda summoned a frost atronach, letting it rise as a menacing barrier for the guards to get through, buying her and Dorian time to cast. Dorian did a double take, gaping at the atronach before he began to fire off bolts of magic from his staff while Aoda edged around her atronach with ice spikes ready. As soon as she had her opening she let them fly sending the deadly ice through the guards’ throats just as Dorian hit them with a chain lightning spell, frying them. 

They both relaxed when the guards fell and no others came through the open door. Aoda’s atronach stood ready, chilling the air immediately around it. Dorian eyed it curiously, stroking his moustache. “Fascinating. What do you call this? Is it some kind of combination of spirit and ice magic?”

“It’s a frost atronach. I have complete mastery of the School of Conjuration. It’s all part of that story I promised you. There are no demons involved with my magic, if you need that reassurance.”

“So long as you aren’t using blood magic, whatever you cast is fine by me.” Dorian circled the atronach, looking closely at it. “How long does it last?”

“For me, until I send it away. The duration of a conjuration depends on the power and skill level of the mage that summons it.” Aoda beamed proudly. 

“It sounds like you’re a good person to have in my corner then.” Dorian smirked, “The glowing hand that closes Fade rifts is nice, too. How does that work?”

Aoda frowned at her hand, “You know, I honestly have no idea. I’ve been studying magic since I was old enough to read and this is unlike anything I’ve ever come across before.” 

“Incredible. It’s certainly something I’d like to look into myself, as another life long student of the arcane.” Dorian smiled at her. “You don’t suppose your Inquisition would allow me to join on once we return?”

“I’m certain we could arrange something.” Aoda chuckled before clearing her throat. “We should probably do some poking around, see when we are.”

“Right. I have a feeling we didn’t get sent too far forward.” Dorian nudged one of the guards with his boot. “This armor style is very similar to what’s common in Tevinter during our time.”

“It can’t be more than a few years. Anything further with the way he did it would have damaged time more. These are the normal  _ tiid ahraan,  _ time wounds, that I’ve felt the last few weeks.” Aoda said as she knelt down and rummaged through the guard’s uniform, producing a ring of keys.

“I’m sorry, did you say ‘time wounds?’” Dorian asked incredulously. “I honestly don’t know what Alexius was thinking. We knew this magic was dangerous when we were working on it, but I can’t imagine what would have prompted him to continue.”

Aoda led Dorian down a hallway and into a cistern with a pathway made of metal grating. She pulled him against the wall and waved the atronach forward, shivering as it passed them and engaged another pair of guards. 

Dorian made to move in after it, but Aoda held him back. “Watch this.”

Aoda charged up a chain lightning spell with both hands and slapped her palms down onto the grate. The guards screamed as they were fried in their armor, the air thick with the stench of burnt flesh and hair. Aoda indicated for the atronach to stay put while they moved further into the cistern.

“You’re much more versed in efficient combat than I am. Part of that story, I take it?” Dorian asked as they took one of the doors off the side of the cistern and began exploring the rooms. 

“That’d be correct,” Aoda told him as she started to inspect the cells. “Oh sweet merciful Mara.” She gasped as she came to the cell at the end of the room. In the cell, encased in red lyrium, was Grand Enchanter Fiona. 

The elf turned a deadened expression unto them. “This lyrium has finally taken my sanity, then.” Her voice was resigned. “I’m surprised it’s taken this long.”

“Grand Enchanter, it’s really us. Alexius sent us forward in time. Can you tell me how long it’s been?” Dorian asked.

Fiona blinked at them, as if finally trying to discern if they were actually real or not. Evidently making her decision, she sighed. “By my estimates, it’s been about a year.”

“What has happened during that time?” Aoda pressed. 

“Alexius is only a pawn that serves a master that none of us could have ever expected. We can’t hope to defeat the Elder One.” Fiona looked away from them and stared into nothingness. 

“Elder One?” Aoda racked her brain for any mention of an Elder One in the books she had read to catch herself up on the history of Thedas. She looked to Dorian, who looked just as perplexed as she, “This Elder One, what does he want?”

“Does it matter? He’s destroyed Thedas as we know it.” Fiona sighed in resignation. “Your companions are somewhere in the dungeons, as well as your spymaster. If you wish to do something to right this, you should hurry before he catches wind that you still live.”

“What about you?” Dorian asked, stepping closer to the cell door. 

“It’s too late for me. The lyrium has already claimed the lower half of my body, it’s only a matter of time before it takes the rest of me.” Fiona looked to Aoda once more, “If there is a chance you can go back and prevent this from happening, you must take it.”

“I will do everything I can to stop this from happening, I swear it.” Aoda held her closed fist to her heart as she made the promise. She then followed Dorian out of the room and crossed to the other side of the dungeon once they reached the cistern. “We need to find the others and get back.”

“I quite agree.” Dorian shook his head in disbelief. “What do the Venatori want, and why did they put themselves in service to this Elder One to get it?”

“Shhhh,” Aoda hushed him as something caught her ear. Tuneless humming was coming from inside one of the rooms. “I think we found somebody.” Aoda pushed open the door and followed the sound to one of the cells.

“Andraste's sacred knickers, you're alive!” Varric pushed himself up from the floor and stumbled to the door while Aoda set to figuring out which key she stole from the guard opened his cell. Varric pressed his forehead against the bars of the cell, watching as Aoda finally slid the correct key into the lock and it turned with ease.

Aoda felt the last tumbler click into place, and she swung the door open to let Varric out. “What can you tell me about the last year?”

“There’s this Elder One that Alexius and the Venatori bastards serve. He’s a giant asshole and he wants more than the standard world domination that your average villain would want. Sure, he had the Empress murdered and raised an army of demons to do his dirty work, but it didn’t just stop there. He’s doing all of this to ascend to godhood. Thedas has just been one chaotic shit show since you disappeared.”

“What happened to the Inquisition? The other world powers? This Elder One can't have been unopposed.” Aoda asked, unease gnawing at her.

“Curly tried to get us out when we never came back. He was in here for a while before they…” Varric shuddered as he trailed off. “There is no Inquisition anymore. They wiped themselves out trying to take this castle. Orlais fell into chaos after the Empress was murdered and Ferelden and the other nations didn't try to do anything until it was too late.”

Aoda felt her chest tighten uncomfortably at Varric's words. Cullen had told her just before she left that it would be impossible to save them if things went wrong; and he had tried anyway. “Well, then we need to get back to a year ago and stop this from happening.”

“Alexius used a pendant as a focus for his time magic. If we can get that from him, I should be able to reverse it and send us back.” Dorian crossed his arms. “Though I doubt getting to Alexius is going to be easy.”

Aoda shrugged. “Do you know where they’re keeping Bull?”

“Across the hall, I think. Oh no, look at what they’ve done to Bianca.” Varric hobbled over to the other side of the room and pulled a heavily battered Bianca out of a crate. “Don’t you worry, beautiful, we’re going to get back at the bastards that did this to you.”

“Damn right we will. Let’s go.” Aoda led the way out of the room and across the hall. When they opened the door, the hulking form of The Iron Bull moved to look at them. Aoda watched as his eye widened once he realized who was standing in the doorway.

“There’s no fuckin’way. I watched you die, there was a burn on the ground and everything!” he pointed at Aoda. 

“Sorry to disappoint.” Aoda deadpanned as she set to work on the lock. 

“I don’t like this shit. Am I dead? Did a demon finally get to me? Fuck.” Bull growled. 

“We didn’t die, unfortunately for Alexius.” Aoda tried to reassure him. “He sent us forward a year into the future. Dorian and I need to get to him so we can go back and make sure this doesn’t happen.” 

“We just need to buy me enough time to reverse his spell. If I can get the amulet he used as a focus, it will accelerate the process.” Dorian told him. 

“So we kill Alexius and then what? He’s still got a fuck ton of demons up there working for him and the Elder One.” Bull argued. 

“We lock ourselves in somewhere and do everything we can to make sure Dorian has enough time. The only way to make this right is to go back and stop it from happening in the first place.” Aoda stood back from the now unlocked cell door to let Bull through. “If that doesn’t work, I have… an alternative. It’s much riskier and I’d rather not resort to it.” 

“Riskier than fighting through a castle full of ‘Vints and demons to get to a crazy magister that can use magic to fuck with time? Yeah, let’s not do whatever that is.” Bull scowled.

“I'm with Tiny on this one. No more weird shit. We get to Alexius, kill the bastard, and send you back.” Varric adjusted something on Bianca with a click. “We’re right behind you.” 

Aoda led them back to the cistern, and held back a groan when she realized that the atronach was still waiting for them. 

“Uhhh, friend of yours?” Varric asked. 

“Yeah. We weren’t sure if any other Venatori were going to come down, so we left it here to guard.” Aoda offered in way of explanation. 

“What  _ is _ it?” Bull asked. 

“It’s basically a golem, but made of ice.” Dorian explained for Aoda. “Your dear Herald and I have a lot of things we need to talk about when we get back.” 

“As long as it’s on our side and doesn’t try to possess anybody, I’m good.” Bull shrugged and began to move past them. As if on cue, the bridge leading to the only other path out of the cistern lowered, revealing Venatori soldiers. 

Aoda kept track of her allies as they all sprung into action. Varric disappeared in a cloud of smoke while Dorian set up a magical barrier around himself. Bull went charging into them with his battleaxe, roaring a battle cry. Aoda waved her arm forward, commanding her atronach to join Bull. She backed up to join Dorian and began flinging ice spikes at the archers that were trying to make Bull into a pincushion. Varric appeared to her left and was firing bolts at a soldier that was closing in on Dorian. They made quick work of the Venatori, with Bull beheading the last one and sending the body tumbling down into the murky waters below.

“Your buddy here is pretty useful. Takes some of the heat off me.”  Bull remarked as he shouldered his battleaxe. 

“He’s saved my ass quite a few times when I was travelling alone.” Aoda agreed. “Come on, we still need to find Leliana.” 

They moved upwards through the keep, quickly taking out Venatori agents that were in their way. They passed through room after room, finding no sign of Leliana. 

“Alexius is going to wish I had never left Tamriel.” Aoda growled as she executed a Venatori agent that had been torturing a Chantry Mother using her bound sword. She dismissed the frost atronach, not wanting to deal with helping it fit through small doorways, and had joined Bull in melee fighting.

“Have I mentioned I’m glad you’re on our side?” Varric asked. 

Aoda’s lips twitched up in a grimace, not finding it in herself to actually smile at Varric’s sense of humor. 

She led the way to the next door, kicking it open just in time to watch as Leliana spat in the face of her torturer. He turned to wipe at his eyes, but straightened up immediately upon seeing Aoda and her companions. Aoda made eye contact with the spy master, and Leliana growled something to the Venatori before swinging her lower body up and wrapping her legs around his neck. Aoda hummed in approval when Leliana used her grip on him to snap his neck, his body dropping to the floor like a ragdoll the instant Leliana released him. Aoda knelt over his body, searching until she found a set of keys and freeing Leliana from her restraints. 

“You’re alive.” Leliana rasped in disbelief.

“Never died in the first place.” Aoda told her as she cast a quick healing spell over her. “Alexius is going to regret that.” 

“Damn right he will. You all have weapons?” Leliana asked as she picked the lock of a chest and took a bow and quiver full of arrows out of it. 

“We do, but aren’t you curious as to how we got here?” Dorian asked.

“No.” Leliana scowled at him.

“Alexius sent us forward in time. It’s only been about an hour for us.” Dorian proceeded despite Leliana’s declination. 

“Well lucky you. You didn’t have to live through the end of the world and watch everyone and everything you’ve ever care for become nothing but ash.” Leliana spat.

“We can still fix this. We just need-.” Dorian began, but Leliana cut him off.

“You don’t get it, do you? This isn’t real for you. This is just some horrible possibility that you hope never comes to pass. This is our reality. Everything that has happened is exactly why the entire world fears mages. Nothing, human or other being, should ever have this kind of power.” 

“Enough!” Aoda barked. “Dorian, Leliana said she didn’t want to hear it, so shut it unless she asks you for details.” Dorian opened his mouth to defend himself, but Aoda silenced him with a wave of her hand. “Not one more word,” She growled.

Aoda led the way through the castle, summoning a bound sword and keeping a shock spell prepared. The next chamber was filled with demons coming out of a rift. Aoda cloaked herself in lightning and summoned another bound blade in her other hand before launching herself into the fray. She lost herself into the rhythm of battle, focusing on nothing but the enemies in front of her.  

She let the sword in her left hand fade to Oblivion so she could seal the rift. Her hand felt as if it were burning when she sealed the rift, the mark protesting its use. She grit her teeth through the pain as she restored the barrier between this world and the Fade. Aoda wasted no time dwelling on the pain, choosing to keep moving forward through the keep.

When they came across two Venatori arguing, and the two of them transformed into grotesque creatures before their eyes, Aoda forced herself to hold back the bile that was threatening to rise and overtake her. When they lay dead on the ground, she turned to the others. “What in Oblivion happened?” 

“They succumbed to possession.” Dorian nudged the hand of one of them away from him with his boot. “I’d pity them if we hadn’t heard one of them trying to convince the other to become a blood sacrifice.” 

“We were lucky that these were very weak demons that possessed them.” Leliana said.

“I don’t think I’d call this lucky, no matter which way you look at it.” Varric countered.

Aoda grunted in agreement and they continued onward. When they finally came into the courtyard, they all gasped. “By the Nine, is that the Breach?” 

“It’s taken up the entire sky.” Dorian’s voice was full of disbelief. 

“Without you to keep it under control, it’s grown unchecked.” Leliana explained.

The group pressed onward, putting down more demons and Venatori agents and sealing two more rifts before finally reaching Alexius. “It’s over, Alexius. You’ve lost.” 

Alexius turned to them, “My final failure, come back at last. I knew I hadn’t destroyed you that day.” 

“Am I supposed to pity you? I have no sympathy for those who would sacrifice others for their own personal gains.” Aoda snarled, wishing again that she could use her Thu’um. 

“Was it worth it Alexius? Everything you did to the world? For an empty castle and a desolate wasteland to live in until you also waste away?” Aoda didn’t have to look at Dorian to know he had a look of utter disgust on his face.

“It doesn’t matter. The Elder One is coming for us all.” 

“Who is this Elder One? What does he want? What did he promise you?” Aoda demanded. 

Alexius sighed in resignation, “It doesn’t matter. Everything I’ve sacrificed, everyone I’ve betrayed. It didn’t matter a bit in the end.” Aoda was about to snap back at him, but a cry of alarm to her right drew everybody’s attention to Leliana holding a man that looked just a step away from a draugr with her dagger to his throat. “Felix! No, let him go!” Alexius’ voice took on a desperate note.

“That’s Felix? Maker’s breath, Alexius, what did you do to him?” Dorian cried out.

“I saved his life! He would have died!” Alexius was almost sobbing.

Aoda looked from Felix, to Alexius, and back to Felix. She took in Felix’s pallor and the way his robes hung on his gaunt frame. “He’s not even living. It’s best you end his suffering.”  She encouraged Leliana. 

“Anything to make  _ him _ suffer.” Leliana spat with a glare at Alexius as she drew the dagger across Felix’s throat.

Alexius’ scream was inhuman as he lunged at Leliana. Aoda summoned a storm atronach; praying to Magnus and Julianos that lightning spells drained magical energy in Thedas the same way it did in Tamriel. Fighting with more than one ally that was not a summoned daedra or atronach was still strange for Aoda, but the adjustment was a nice one, as she didn’t exhaust her reserves nearly as quickly as she normally would against such a powerful opponent. Aoda opted to join the melee, cloaking herself in lightning and summoning a bound blade in both hands, using her smaller stature to get to Alexius quickly and avoid his staff when he physically lashed out at her. 

“Rift!” Varric called out, drawing her attention to another challenge on the battlefield. She abandoned her spectral blades and called forth frost magic to slow down the rage demons and shades as Varric and Leliana rapid fired bolts and arrows into them. She let Dorian and Bull draw Alexius’ attention so she could focus on quelling the demon onslaught and closing the rift. 

By the time she had sealed the rift and turned back to Alexius, he lay dead on the ground and Dorian was rifling through his robes. He produced the amulet with a shout that could have been described as triumphant if it weren't for the anguished look on his face. “This is it! I just need an hour and-” An ear shattering roar shook the castle, cutting him off. 

“I don’t think we can buy you an hour.” Bull glanced at the door.

Aoda pulled at the remains of her magic reserves, and summoned a Dremora lord to join her storm atronach. “We’ll take as much time as you can give us. We’ll make this right, I promise.”

Varric and Bull nodded, leading Aoda’s conjurations out of the throne room and shutting the heavy doors behind them. Leliana remained with them. “You two get working. You have as much time as I have arrows.” 

Aoda nodded and joined Dorian where he was concentrating hard on the amulet. “What do you need from me?” 

Dorian looked up at her, his eyes red and his face streaked with shed tears. “Hold it and focus on the moment we left. Having the two of us working to focus it will help move things along faster.” 

Aoda nodded, not saying a word as Dorian produced a handkerchief and wiped at his face. She focused her entire being on the moment Alexius sent them to the future, pushing away the time wounds tugging on her. She had a moment’s warning that the doors were going to burst open when she felt her atronach and Dremora return to Oblivion. She barely heard Leliana screaming at them to hurry, but the sweet relief she felt when she felt time repairing itself as she and Dorian vanished was immeasurable. She sighed before turning and advancing on Alexius. 

“You’ll have to do better than that.” Aoda held back a smile at the strength in Dorian’s voice.

“You’re done here.” Aoda waved Inquisition soldiers forward and allowed them to surround them.

Felix knelt down in front of his father and smiled reassuringly “It will be alright.” 

The stricken look on Alexius’ face tugged at Aoda’s heart, “You’ll die.” 

“There are fates worse than death.” Aoda crossed her arms as she glared at Alexius, “You had better pray to whatever gods you believe in that I manage to fix the mess your actions were, or you will get to experience one of those fates first hand.”  Alexius paled significantly at her words before he was led away by the Inquisition soldiers. 

* * *

 

“Damn, what are you going to tell the others when you show up with hundreds of mages?” Bull asked as they were setting up their tents at the camp closest to Redcliffe. 

“Well, I’ll probably start with ‘You’re welcome.’” Aoda shrugged. “I’ll figure the rest of it out. I just hope this doesn’t screw up our chances at an alliance with the Templars.”

“I know you’re new here, but surely you know better than to think the Templars are going to be happy with us after this.” Varric pointed out.

Before Aoda could formulate a response for Varric, she was distracted as an ear splitting screech in the distance caught her attention. It was significantly higher pitched and more grating, but Aoda would recognize a dragon’s roar anywhere.

“I need to clear my head. Who wants to go slay a dragon with me?” She turned around with a wild grin on her face. Upon realizing that she was completely serious, Bull let out a cheer and grabbed his battleaxe. Aoda watched Dorian and Varric exchanged perplexed looks before they also grabbed their weapons and followed along.

As they approached the dragon’s nest, Aoda inhaled deeply through her nose, savoring the distinctive smell of dragon fire, and an unexpected feeling of homesickness washed over her. “We should focus on shredding its wings to ground it. How do you guys feel about me summoning things?” She looked back. 

Dorian shrugged, “Again, as long as there’s no blood magic, I don’t mind it one bit.” 

Bull raised his hand, “Will it try to possess me?” 

“They’re not capable of possessing. Or doing anything I don’t tell it to do.” Aoda reassured.

“Then I’m good.” Bull hefted his battleaxe. “Now what are we waiting for?” 

Aoda summoned her frost atronach and a dremora lord. “These two should take some of the heat off of you.” She explained to Bull.

“I don’t like this one.” Bull glared at the frost atronach. “It doesn’t have a face.” 

“It hasn’t needed a face to save my life before” Aoda started to lead them through the valley, towards where she could see a billowing column of black smoke rising at the opposite end. “Honestly, it’s probably good we’re taking this dragon out. This is too close to Redcliffe for my taste.” 

“So are you going to hang back with us in safety or are you going to join him in his goal to become ashes this afternoon?” Dorian asked.

“There is no safe distance from which to fight a dragon,” Aoda resisted the urge to roll her eyes. “Though I’ve killed quite a few in my time, so the odds are in our favor today.” She quieted down as she heard the distant beat of enormous wings. “Watch the skies!” She called out as she cast an iron flesh spell and prepared ice spikes. 

Aoda, Dorian, Varric, and the flame atronach worked on tearing the dragon’s wings as they fought to get out of the cover of the trees. Smaller dragon like creatures joined the fight, trying to tear into Aoda and her companions. 

“Are these babies?” She cried out as she fried another one with her lightning and felt a minute rejuvenation as she absorbed its soul. In all of her encounters with dragons, they had always been fully grown and she had never encountered a young one.

“We must be fighting a nesting mother!” Dorian answered her as he fired another lightning bolt overhead. “We just might be saving Redcliffe from a major infestation of hungry baby dragons!” 

They finally broke from the tree line just in time for the dragon to land heavily in front of them and let out a deafening scream. The sound rang in Aoda’s ears long after the dragon reared back and prepared to breathe fire at them. “Scatter!” She called out as she dove to the side just in time to miss a fireball.

She swapped out the frost atronach for a storm atronach, opting for stronger magic. The dragon turned her attention to Aoda and roared angrily. Aoda yelled back, not caring if the dragon understood her or not, “ _ Zu’u los dovahkriid! _ ” Before she flung an ice spike at her throat. 

Bull had gotten underneath the dragon and was slicing at her belly with his battleaxe. Dorian and Varric were still focusing on her wings while the atronach and dremora were attacking at any point where they sensed an opening. Aoda used both hands to prepare a larger ice spike and roared as she threw her entire body into flinging it at the dragon. It sank deep into her eye and must have pierced her brain. Bull managed to scrambled out from underneath her before she collapsed on the ground dead. 

Aoda rushed to the corpse, anticipating the rush of taking the dragon’s soul. She nearly shouted with glee when she saw the first lights underneath the dragon’s hide. The dragon’s soul to flew at Aoda and she closed her eyes as she began to absorb the power. Every nerve in her body was alive with the power, singing an ancient song that so few knew and that no others would know again. She held her breath; waiting for the tingle of her Thu’um to begin at the back of her throat like it had in front of the watchtower in Whiterun all of those years ago, but nothing came. As the high faded away, Aoda felt a crushing emptiness that was worse than waking up and discovering she was no longer in Tamriel.

“Care to explain that light show you treated us to, Boss?” Bull asked, being the first to reach her. 

“I took the dragon’s soul, but nothing happened.” Aoda finally let tears that she had been holding back since she woke up with the mark on her hand fall as her companions looked on, dumbstruck.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Zu’u los dovahkriid! - I am the dragonslayer!


End file.
